


Three of a Perfect Pair

by theangstmonkey



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: M/M, Polyamory, Post-Canon, Scott and Jill let Gil name the baby Meri, Spoilers, actual communication, basically a super healthy way to do polyamory, gil being supportive of scott's relationship with reyes, he has them both wrapped around his fingers, it's set a year after the game's ending so, oh and basically all of the spoilers for everything, so so so many spoilers, very limited jealousy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-10-14 18:02:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 34,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10541682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theangstmonkey/pseuds/theangstmonkey
Summary: A year after the defeat of the Archon, Gil and Scott have settled into life as fathers to Jill's baby. While Jill is working for re-population efforts in Kadara's recently reclassified outpost, Scott and Gil have to come to terms with Scott's lingering feelings for Reyes as they also work to define what it means to be fathers to a three month old baby girl.At the same time, the Outcasts begin rebuilding their numbers and threaten to bring an end to the blissful and balanced life the unconventional family has managed to build together.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic in years but for some reason this game's mlm romances have spoken to me. This work does not have a beta at the moment, so please feel free to point out any glaring errors that need to be fixed and I'll work to correct them as quickly as I can. 
> 
> Also, I know this first part has a slow build up. I wanted to establish where everyone was, how their dynamics worked, and start the central conflict before I could get right into the poly stuff. I promise Gil is going to convince Scott to be honest with his feelings soon, and then Reyes is going to have a lot more fun because of it.

Some of the colonists in Andromeda found the sounds of a baby to be comforting. Those coos and ahs meant that despite everything that had happened a year ago, life was beginning to thrive in the Heleus Cluster. During pre-dawn hours, though, it was easy to remember that babies were also very loud. 

It was his turn, so he pulled himself off the bed and moved to Meri’s crib. When it was one of their nights, the baby slept in their room. Scott hummed as he picked her up gently, took care of her diaper, and then moved to get something for her to eat. 

Jill’s door was still tightly closed as he cradled the baby and tried to trot silently into the shared living space. He had tried not to wake Gil, but his partner never slept through Meri’s crying. Even when it was Jill’s night, Gil would ultimately wake up and leave the warmth of their bed to share comforting the baby with his best friend.

So when Scott looked up from where he had been one-handedly pulling open a cabinet to see Gil already there with previously pumped and packaged breast milk in his hands he wasn’t surprised. 

“She quieted quickly, didn’t she? I think her Papa is her favorite,” Gil commented as he took the empty bottle from Scott’s hand to put everything together. With his second arm free, Scott was able to adjust and hold their daughter more securely. 

Scott snorted a bit. The baby had stopped crying once Scott had started holding her. He swayed a bit now to keep up movement that kept that calm while they waited for Gil to finish popping together the bottle. “I think she just pities me,” he teased a bit. He watched as Gil effortlessly put together the food for their daughter and came closer. 

“With those sad puppy eyes of yours?” Gil teased right back as he handed Scott the bottle. “Who wouldn’t?”

They settled on the couch after that. Scott fed Meri, and Gil opened his arm and let Scott lean against him. As an hour passed, sunbeams started to filter through their windows. Kadara’s sunrises were always gorgeous and the different colored light was already breaking in to brighten up the shared living space. 

“When’s Jill’s first appointment this morning?” Scott asked as he considered the fact that the day was starting. They might be able to get Meri back down for a bit, but she was too active a child to settle for long once was it was bright outside. Honestly, that energy reminded him of stories about Sara. Their mother had always talked about how Sara could never sit still, not even in the womb she had shared with her brother.

“She’s meeting a couple around oh-seven-hundred,” Gil answered. He yawned and then scratched the patch of bare skin on his chin. “She’ll probably be up in about an hour.”

Jill had taken to morning runs throughout the growing colony. She enjoyed seeing people she was helping start to go through their day, and Kadara’s more mild weather made the run more comfortable than the desert planets had been. Scott never could really shake the worry that something would happen to her while she was out, but Collective and Initiative guards seemed to pay extra attention to her safety. There was a benefit to be the mother of the Pathfinder’s daughter, after all. 

Once Meri was fed and comforted, Scott was able to get her to settle down just long enough for him and Gil to get ready for their day. One of Scott’s favorite things about Kadara was that the vault had ensured an abundance of usable water and that meant they could shower more freely. He usually liked to cram into their small shower stall with Gil, but the pair of them were too paranoid to leave Meri alone for that long. It was probably new parent jitters, but the baby didn’t seem to mind that one of them was always in the room with her. 

Once the pair of them were cleaned and dressed they moved back out into the living room to get breakfast ready. By then, Meri was fully awake and wanting to explore her surroundings a bit. She was three months old now, and needed to be engaged with colors and shapes. Scott set up her play wheel and settled her comfortably in it while Gil put together something for the three adults in the house to eat. 

Almost as if summoned by food, Jill appeared from her room. She was wearing her running clothes and grinned a bit as she saw the three of them already up. “How was your night?” she asked as she crossed over to the kitchen area to take some of the food that Gil was preparing. There was a playful protest from him, but not enough to take the smirk from her face or to stop her from eating straight from the pan.

“Good. She woke us up about two hours ago, but she slept enough, I think. She’ll probably be napping in a few.” Scott mentally could already feel himself tallying up numbers. Three month olds needed at least twelve hours a sleep to allow their brains time to develop and grow. If he took the six she had had that night and added-- 

“Scott, you’re getting that numbers face again,” Jill pointed out gently. “She’s fine. Let her sleep as much or as little as she wants. It only becomes a problem if she’s not sleeping at all.” 

Gil chuckled a bit, in a gentle, pleased sort of way that escaped him every time the two of them interacted like that. He loved seeing the two adults he cared about the most tending to each other and looking out for one another. “Right. Babies aren’t robots,” he said, instead of sharing those emotions. Lexi had been right that he used humor as a way to cope with feelings that were too deep that he feared he might be swallowed up by them. 

He didn’t need to share them though, both Scott and Jill understood what he was actually saying.

“Shame. Robots I can handle.” 

Jill snorted and finished eating her portion of the food. “Please don’t mistake our baby for Zap, Scott. I’m not sure we can trust PeeBee to tune her up.” She leaned up to kiss Gil lightly on the side of his face and then came around to put an arm around Scott. It was a light half hug, meant to show that she wasn’t actually afraid of Scott doing such a thing.

It had been a year and the pair of them were getting used to each other’s humor, but there was still always this worry that they might cross a line with each other and upset the balance their family had managed to put into place. Jill leaned forward to rub a hand against Meri’s belly before pulling up completely. 

“She and Sara are on Elaaden right now, anyway. They’re trying to find anything that raiders haven’t taken from that ship. We’ll have to sadly go without a baby tune up for a while.” 

Jill chuckled a bit and then shook her head. She was about to head out when Scott remembered something he had wanted to talk to her about. 

“Jill, wait.” There was a pause as she turned to look at him.

“I was thinking. The CRC would have an easier time of things if more of the Exiles agreed to donate their DNA to your pool, right? That would help keep the genetics more diverse.”

Jill nodded a bit at that. “Yes, but things have just started to be peaceful between the Nexus and them, I doubt many would agree to have samples taken.”

“What if I talked to the leaders of the Collective for you? They might be able to convince more of them to reach out to your efforts.”

Something passed between Jill and Gil that Scott couldn’t quite place. They did that often, he realized now. It was as if they had their own silent language. He’d often find them speaking to one another in ways he couldn’t fathom. He wondered if that was what it was like to be around him and Sara. When they had been kids they had even come up with their own language and had been each other’s best friends since birth. If anything, seeing this moment pass between Meri’s other parents made him miss his sister on a deep level -- when he wasn’t distracted by pondering what that look meant, anyway.

“I think that would be a pretty good idea,” Jill stated carefully, though her gaze never fully left Gil’s seemingly mellow form. 

Gil, for his part, folded his arms and leaned against the counter. The picture of relaxed reassurance. 

“Our numbers and models for re-population originally factored in the people we had before The Uprising. If we could recover some of them… It would be a big help.” 

Scott nodded at that and then let her leave to start her run. His gaze then focused on Gil.

“What is it?” he asked. “Does she not like me getting involved in her work?” He hadn’t considered that before. He wondered how he would feel if she had an idea for how he could be a better Pathfinder. Probably relieved, honestly, but she had chosen the work she did with the CRC. He had literally fallen into being a Pathfinder.

“No. It’s not that,” Gil said carefully as he moved to clean up the kitchen. “She thinks you still have feelings for Reyes and she’s looking out for me.”

Something strange and cold gripped at Scott’s throat. Gil said those words so casually and carefully, as if he was doing nothing more than commenting on the weather. There were times were Scott loved that about Gil, that he could tackle complex issues with a calming air about him, but this was touching on something that Scott himself hadn’t dealt with fully. 

Gil wasn’t the only one who had coping mechanisms that kept him from dealing with his emotions. 

“How does she know about Reyes?” he asked, because there was a lot riding on the answer to that question.

“She doesn’t. Not really.” Gil glanced at him and saw the doubtful expression on Scott’s face. “I’m not stupid, Scott. I’m not going to tell my best friend and the mother of our child who The Charlatan really is.” His voice was still gentle, almost jovial, as if he was more amused by Scott’s incredulity than anything. “She knows that you had dealings with the Collective leadership, though, everyone does, and she knows me well enough to know that those dealings got more complicated than just a turf war.” 

Scott felt his frown crease his face. “I chose you,” he said, and the tone of it seemed lame. It had been more than that and saying it as if that had been the deciding factor felt almost hollow. That day in the cave, with Sloane’s blood wet on the stone, he had realized how little he could trust Reyes and how important trust and safety were to him. 

“I know,” Gil said. He come out from behind the kitchen counter then and brought Scott’s food to him. His tone was comforting, as if it didn’t matter that the reasons were complicated and confusing. All that mattered was what they were building together. He set the plate of food down on the coffee table near were Meri was reaching for a brightly colored square that dangled down in front of her. “You need to know that I believe in this – in us – more than I have ever believed in anything. Nothing will ever change that.” 

Scott felt that cold grip releasing him as he looked over at Gil and could feel the truth in his words. Gil gave him trust and safety in a way that very little else could. 

“That doesn’t stop Jill from being right, you know,” Gil continued. He reached out and settled a hand on Scott’s arm before gently trailing his down to take Scott’s hand in his own. 

Scott squeezed Gil’s hand lightly and then hummed a bit in thought. “Well, it’s bound to happen every once and a while, but I don’t know if I agree about this. I think she used up all of her good ideas when she suggested we have Meri.” He was teasing, of course. His tone was carefully constructed to deflect and made Gil chuckle.

It worked too. “Ohhh, I’m going to tell her you said that. She’ll love it.”

 

Hours later, Scott was alone and outside of Tartarus. The conversation he had had with Gil about his feelings for Reyes had been followed by a pleasant morning with his partner and daughter, but it still felt heavy on his memory. Had Gil really meant that he thought Scott had unresolved issues over Reyes? What had transpired between them had been so fleeting when compared to the life that Scott was building with Gil. It felt almost silly to compare them.

And yet, for the first time in a long time, as Scott made his way inside the club and up the stairs to Reyes’s room, he felt himself thinking about ‘what-ifs’ and ‘could-have-beens.’ He’d need to talk to Sara soon. She was still the best at clearing his head. Hopefully he could vidcon with her before the day was out. 

Reyes was looking over some datapads when Scott came in. He rarely even signaled his arrival to this place anymore. It was comfortable to just walk in and expect Reyes to be happy to see him. Indeed, once Reyes looked up a smile crossed his lips. “Ah, Ryder. I was hoping I’d see you today.”

“Oh? Your day is that boring is it? Need me to liven up the place?” 

Reyes chuckled a bit and then gestured to the datapads. “More like I need a Pathfinder with good aim, impressive biotic skills, and a SAM to help me investigate these claims. People are saying the Outcasts were gaining a foothold in the South. The snake might be reforming a new head.” 

That got Scott’s attention fast. He came closer and moved to take one of the datapads from Reyes’s hands. Again, the moment, the closeness, it felt so natural. Even the way their fingertips brushed against each other felt right. 

Scott ignored the little thrill the connection had sent through his body and instead focused on the reports. They were more than a little troubling. SAM's voice came into his head then, commenting on some corroborating reports from the colony's security forces. SAM had been pretty silent this morning and despite everything, it was comforting to have him there now. 

Scott sank down onto Reyes’s couch as he finished the reports and instructed SAM to keep a look out for anything else that would relate. Finally, he looked up at his friend. “I’ll scout out the area later tonight, before it gets too dark.” 

Reyes seemed comforted by that. He moved to get a drink from his personal stash and offered some to Scott. Never one to turn down a free drink – even more so if Reyes was buying – Scott nodded. 

“I’ll send some of my men to go with you. I know that your squad is all scattered now that you’re taking your parental vacation.” 

“It’s not a vacation. Not really. Jill is here on work, and it made sense for me and Gil to settle with her to give Meri time to bond with her dads.” He shouldn’t feel like he had to defend himself to anyone, let alone Reyes, and yet here he was, doing just that.

Reyes seemed to interpret something from his tone and his eyebrows lifted a bit as he handed over the drink.

“Speaking of Jill’s work,” Scott quickly veered into a new topic, wanting to avoid bringing up anything that would remind him of the cold grip that had nearly choked him when Gil had brought up Scott's unresolved feelings. “This morning she and I were talking and I was thinking… It’s time for the Exiles to participate in the CRCs efforts. I know many of you still have the hormone blockers in place, and it might be a good time to start working to remove those. It might be a good time for the Collective to start thinking about the future.” 

Reyes’s brow stayed lifted for a moment longer after that. “Are you asking me to have a child, Scott?” he asked. His tone was low, something dangerous and enticing dancing just along it’s edges. 

“I’m asking you to ask the Collective if they’d be interested in helping with re-population efforts,” Scott responded, side stepping any innuendo that might be implied by Reyes’s mood. “Maybe we could even work together to put together an outreach program between your people and the CRC.”

Reyes considered it a moment, let his face relax, dropped the extra seduction to his already naturally sultry voice. “I think that would be a good idea, Pathfinder. We’ll have to think of a better name for it than the Colonial Repopulation Committee, though. You Nexus types find a way to suck the fun out of everything.”

“Sometimes sucking _is_ the fun,” Scott responded before he could stop himself. 

Reyes chuckled a bit and let himself settle back as he sipped at the alcohol in his cup. “Indeed.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't think all of my updates will come this soon. It's a slow day at work (writing at work also means no smut this chapter so more character relationship building it is!)
> 
> Once again, I don't have a proof-reader so feel free to point out any glaring errors and I will try to fix them ASAP.

The people that Reyes had assigned to help him investigate the claims of Outcast activity turned out to be a human man in his late forties and an angaran woman with pale green skin and opal markings around her eyes. The man was mute as they worked and had a deep scar along his face. The woman was a bit more pleasant and talkative but seemed to take the threat of the Outcasts very seriously. They both had suffered greatly under Sloane’s rule. Distantly, Scott wondered if Reyes had picked them to remind everyone involved how things had been before Sloane’s death. 

Their investigation lasted for several hours but they turned up nothing more than an old cave that seemed to have been used as some sort of meeting ground. SAM confirmed that the equipment they found there had last been used less than a week before so they marked the place for surveillance before heading back home. 

Reyes’s people set out back to Kadara’s slums to report in to him, and Scott climbed back into his vehicle to return to the colony. 

“Scott, I have contacted Sara. She will be available for vidcon when you return. Would you like me to book the room for you?” SAM’s voice filtered into his head in that personal link that signaled to Scott they were talking on their private channel. All day he had been broadcasting via the omni tools of the investigation team and the closed channel felt comforting and intimate. 

Scott had almost forgotten that he had been considering reaching out to his sister earlier in the day and the thought that he’d have her to help him figure out his jumbled emotions lifted his spirits. “That’s a great idea, SAM. Thanks.”

He returned to the colony just as the stars began to peek out through the night sky. It was strange how familiar Andromeda’s constellations were becoming. This sky felt like home far more than anything had been back on Earth. He realized that was likely because Earth had been an ending - his mother’s supposed death, his father’s choices crumbling his and Sara’s careers - while Andromeda had been the place he had finally allowed himself to _begin_.

There was only one reliable vidcon unit in the colony. Addison said that was a sign of the how new the reclassification from outpost to colony was for Kadara. Prodromos, for example, had three vidcon stations that were open for the public. There were times, Scott realized, that he missed having a private channel on the Tempest, but his ship was currently being borrowed by the turian Pathfinder Avitus Rix to finish up his yearlong search for turian survivors. The Tempest was the only Pathfinder ship to survive the Scourge so it had only made sense to let Rix use the ship while Scott was on extended parental leave. 

The public status of the vidcon meant that the use of it had to be booked out. Though SAM always ensured Scott had times that were convenient for him, it limited the amount of time he could speak to his sister. When he entered the room there was already a krogan inside who had been speaking to his family at New Tuchanka. Scott caught him as he was just finishing up his chat. He turned when he saw Scott and nodded at him before leaving. 

Along the walls next to the vidcon unit where clocks that showed the simulated time at the Nexus and the actual time of each of the outposts and colonies that Scott had helped establish. In the middle of those clocks was one giant display that was sectioned off and showed the different times at notable places that had been established inside of Meridian over the last year. While it was meant for ease of communication, Scott couldn’t help but feel a certain sense of pride to see all of his hard work lined up neatly on a wall. This wasn’t the pomp and circumstance of Pathfinder Hall, but real, practical proof that he had made a difference. 

After he established a link to Elaaden he was relieved to see the visage of his sister standing in front of him.

“Hi Scott,” she said, a comforting smile on her face. She might be a blue, hollow image but even just hearing her voice seemed to loosen tension Scott hadn’t been aware he had been holding all day. “SAM said that you wanted to talk, but first you have to tell me how my favorite niece is doing.”

Scott chuckled a bit, “Meri is your _only_ niece.”

“True, and that means it’s easy for me to pick a favorite. I’ll be in real trouble once you three decide to have more kids.”

He laughed again, a bit more strongly now, and then relayed all of the important updates about developmental milestones for a three month old. “I’ll send you an e-mail with some image files soon, I promise,” he finished up with.

“You better. I already miss her perfect squishy little face.”

“I’m sure she misses Auntie Sara just as much.”

Sara seemed satisfied with that, and with baby updates, because after a moment her face got more serious. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

Once Sara had recovered from her time with the Archon - physically at least, you never really got over torture - Scott had filled her in on all of the details of his time as Pathfinder. SAM had helped by describing memories that were too painful or too personal to speak aloud, and the three of them had developed a strict ‘no more family secrets’ rule. That meant that she was fully aware of Scott’s liaison with Reyes as a matter of history, but now, somehow, he felt so awkward to bring it up. It was probably because the topic was coming right after discussing his daughter and his life with Gil. Somehow, bringing words to the feelings felt like a betrayal of that happiness. 

“Well, I...” he started, but then faltered and let his eyes cast down to the edge of the vidcon platform. This small circle was the only thing connecting him and Sara, he thought. 

And then, almost as if he was offended by that thought, SAM piped up and proved that they were connected in more ways than one. “Recently, Scott has realized that his emotional and romantic connection to Reyes Vidal has not been severed completely.”

Scott had mostly gotten over the way that other people tended to look up at nothing when SAM interjected himself into conversation but this moment was so surprising that he jerked and looked around the room for something to glare at. 

“Oh,” Sara said, her eyes widening a bit. There wasn’t judgement in her tone or expression, because the twins rarely had anything but unconditional support for one another, but that didn’t stop the surprise from filtering through the blue hologram. “It took you this long to figure that out?”

“What?” Scott asked, finally settling on glaring at his sister. “What do you mean? I’m a father. I’m probably going to get married... eventually.” Neither he nor Gil had asked that particular question yet, but it was assumed by everyone around it’d happen eventually. “I shouldn’t be pining after smugglers who moonlight as Kadara Port’s shadowy puppet master.”

Sara sighed a bit and seemed to think how to word things. Finally, she settled on recounting a story from their past. “Do you remember when we were both still in the Alliance? You were serving with those two guys who were childhood buddies. The ones who were Earthborn and who enlisted together?”

“Damien and Derek, I remember,” Scott felt heat rise up in his face as spoke their names.

“Do you remember how you got a silly crush on both of them at the same time and sent me a bunch of e-mails about it? Whining about how you were going to pick one?”

Scott rolled his eyes a bit, a gesture he pretty much only directed at Sara now. She had a way of making him revert to his teenaged ways. “Yes.”

“And then it turned out you didn’t have to, because they were perfectly content sharing you and then you sent me a super detailed message about the night you three had.”

“Yes, I remember because you managed to limit yourself to only one ‘Scott got two Ds’ joke as I recall.” 

She laughed then. “I know. I should be commended. It was really difficult not to make more, especially when you consider that you had basically sent me a detailed recounting of your first threesome.”

“Oh! Threesome talk, interesting!” came a voice from behind Sara. Peebee had seemed to have just entered the room at the most interesting spot of the conversation. She came closer to the vidcon station and wrapped an arm around Sara. Scott could only really see her arm and half of her face as he peered at him. “Oh, twincest threesome talk.” Her grin turned into a slight downturned grimace. “Not as sexy as the vids make it out to be.”

“Is that the voice of experience?” Sara asked, looking over at the asari with an amused smirk. 

Peebee shrugged and made one of her ‘it may or may not have happened, but I’m not telling’ faces before she pushed slightly closer to the vidcon. “I’ll let you two continue your talk in peace, but this tiny interaction doesn’t leave you off the hook for catching up with me, Pathfinder.” 

Scott grinned widely and opened his arms in a welcoming sort of way. “I wouldn’t dream of it, I’ll include you in the e-mail I’m sending Sara with all of the baby updates.”

Peebee had never really fancied herself a ‘baby’ kind of woman, but somehow it was reassuring to her that she would be included in Meri’s updates. It made her feel like even more a part of this family, and the choice to not complain about getting updates about poop and developmental milestones was just as important as her choice to stay on the Tempest’s crew long term. It reinforced that she was indeed here to stay. She nodded instead and then gave Sara a quick kiss before disappearing back into New Tuchanka’s outpost living structures. 

“You two seem to be getting along well,” Scott mused aloud. 

It was Sara’s turn to falter as she felt at a loss of words to describe what was happening between her and Peebee. 

“Sara and Peebee have taken up co-habitation while working together on Elaaden’s derelict ship,” SAM supplied helpfully. 

“Oh really?” Scott responded, now far more amused by SAM’s interjections to their conversation.

“SAM!” Sara protested as Scott found himself devolving into laughter.

“Considering I had already shared personal information about Scott’s life, it seemed ‘fair play’ to divulge this information, Sara.” Not for the first time, Scott was _certain_ that SAM had mastered sarcasm without telling anyone. 

“Oh God, dad is probably rolling in his grave right now,” Sara muttered as she crossed her arms and shook her head.

“You mean because we’re using the highly advanced and supremely powerful AI he dedicated his life to develop to discuss our love lives?” Scott supplied. 

At first they both laughed at the idea, but then that melted into a quiet that was so thick and strained with grief that Scott was sure that it spanned the entire distance between Kadara and Elaaden and left very little room for either of them to breathe. 

“Alec wanted both of you to be happy,” SAM supplied once more and the comment was quiet and as reserved as SAM’s simulated voice could allow it to be. 

“Yes,” Sara responded, clearly more comforted by SAM’s words than Scott felt. She cleared her throat and blinked several times, banishing away any lingering unshed tears. “And _I_ want _you_ to be happy, Scott. That means that I think you should talk to Gil. He reads you better than almost anyone, except me, of course. He’ll see that something is wrong before long.” 

Scott could remember the way that Gil has tried to bring this up, using Jill as a surrogate to what were possibly his own concerns. _That doesn’t stop Jill from being right, you know,_ he had said. The words had been presented so carefully and gently, as if Gil was trying to open the door for communication. For someone who usually dove headfirst into things without thinking, Gil had always treated their relationship with the thought that it deserved. 

It was important that Scott make an effort to always do the same. 

“You’re right,” he agreed with his sister. “You almost always are.”

“Almost,” Sara agreed. She shifted a bit, the motion showing a restlessness she felt to want to touch him, to hug him, to show him that no matter what he was loved and supported. She then brought the conversation back to the main topic at hand. “I brought up the two Ds for a reason, Scott. Do you think, if Dad’s obsession with SAM hadn’t have ruined our chances with the Alliance, that you would have stayed with both of them long term?”

“I don’t know,” Scott replied. “I mean, if we had stayed behind, we’d be dead right now.”

Sara was the only person in the entire cluster, outside of SAM, who knew that when Scott said ‘we’d be dead’ he didn’t mean because it was 600 years ago. She was the only other person who had heard Alec’s recovered messages from the Milky Way. The only one who knew that an unstoppable killing force had likely ruined the place they had come from. 

The weight of that thought seemed to ride the tail of the grief-stricken moment they had shared over Alec’s death. A year was not nearly long enough to recover from all of that loss. 

Scott wasn’t sure where to take the conversation from here. He knew what she was doing. She wanted him to realize that maybe this wasn’t cheating so much as a part of who he was. He wasn’t sure where that left his brand new family, though. They already had one more parent than was normal. He realized almost right away that if he brought that up, she’d just scoff and ask him who got to say what was ‘normal.’

“You should probably go make sure Peebee doesn’t get too restless waiting around with thoughts of threesomes in her head,” Scott offered instead. He wanted to find a polite way to end the conversation so he could go speak to Gil and figure this out with him. 

Sara shrugged a bit. “Hey, if she finds someone really pretty, maybe I’ll follow your example, stud.” 

They ended with ‘I love yous’ because that was another part of their pact for the new and approved Ryder clan - to always say I love you to each other no matter what - and then disconnected the call.

Scott felt some of the tension in his body lifted from speaking with her, even as determination settled in his stomach as he walked back to the home he shared with Gil, Jill, and Meri. 

Around him the colony showed signs of being turned from an outpost to a permanent home for its residents. Structures were being built with more foundation. Shops and places of amusement were cropping up. Everything around him showed signs of domesticity and settled life. People told him that he was the reason for that, but as he made his way to the home he had created with loved ones he couldn’t help but realize that this had been the effort of many different people coming together to achieve a shared goal. He hadn’t been the one with tools building these walls, after all. 

It took more than one person to turn a patch of land into a home.

The house was quiet when he entered. It was Jill’s night to be on baby watch, so Meri had already been fed, washed, and put to bed in her room. He knew she was probably still awake and sitting on her bed while looking over applications for donors and stats of viable couples, but her door was closed to give him and Gil some privacy. 

Gil was sitting on the couch while looking over some updates Kallo had sent him about the Tempest. Since their fight had been resolved so long ago, Kallo was more open to sharing up-to-date stats on the ship. He apparently even missed Gil a bit when comparing him to the turian engineer onboard the ship now, but he would probably never put words to that feeling. 

“You know Rix put our baby a little too close to the Scourge chasing down a trail of pods.” The inflection of the words ‘our baby’ here easily displayed which of their ‘babies’ Gil was talking about, even without the context of the Tempest stats displayed in front of him. When he spoke about Meri his tone was a bit higher and happy. When he was talking about the Tempest, it was lower, sultrier. “He’s lucky it didn’t actually touch her or I’d have words with him. The asari haven’t mapped out basically the entire bloody thing just for us to ram headfirst into it again.” He looked up from the diagram displayed from his omni tool to consider Scott. “I mean, who does he think he is, _you_? He doesn’t have an Archon to give the middle finger to as he zooms right into that mess.” 

Scott couldn’t help but feel a warmth spreading through his chest as Gil complained about turians being on his ship. They both were really enjoying this time to be with their daughter and her mom, but it was easy to tell that when the day came to get back out there, they’d be ready for that too. 

Scott settled down on the couch next to Gil and settled a hand on his leg. “Well, he is tracking down what remains of his people, I’m sure we can give him a pass on a little bit of danger for that. Besides, he still has the best pilot around for navigating around the Scourge.” 

Gil grunted in a way that he only did when he was agreeing to a compliment being sent Kallo’s way and then switched off his omni tool. The orange glow disappeared and left the room in the blue hue of the house’s lighting and the moonlight filtering in through the windows. 

For a moment, Scott felt breathless again. This time, though, it wasn’t from crushing grief but at amazement that he had managed to capture Gil’s affections. Gil’s face and the way that he looked at Scott always made him feel too full with love and appreciation. He reached up to settle a hand on Gil’s shoulder before leaning in to kiss him. 

The kiss was pleasant and warm and then they pulled away he kept his forehead pressed against Gil’s. Gil’s arm had wrapped around him. Scott opened his mouth to speak a couple of times before closing it again.

“Why do I get the feeling that you’re trying to say something and can’t figure out how to word it?” Gil asked. Once again, he proved just how easily he could read Scott. 

“I am,” Scott admitted after a moment. He wanted to spend that moment longer just enjoying having Gil’s love and presence. He was worried what this conversation could mean for them in the long term. 

Finally, though, Gil pulled away from him to give them both space to talk. “And? What is it?”

Scott swallowed hard and looked over to the side of the room. They had a bin that housed all of Meri’s toys. There was a soft, plush elcor sticking out from the top, surrounded by brightly colored stars and squares she could easily grasp onto as her fingers developed an understanding of edges and form. 

He loved this life. He loved Gil, more deeply than he thought he could ever love anyone, and then Meri had come along and proven that love could run even deeper than that. His feelings for Reyes weren’t born out of a dissatisfaction of his relationship with Gil. If anything, knowing how much he loved Gil made it easier to recognize the same emotion when he thought about Reyes. 

“Do you remember this morning? When we were talking about Reyes?” Scott finally brought up, trying to figure out how to word things. 

“Ah,” Gil said. He sat back a bit and considered Scott. He still seemed relaxed, accepting, ready to let any change in currant sweep him away. “I’m glad you want to talk about that, actually. I think we should clear the air.”

“Gil...” Scott started, already wanting to begin by apologizing, by asking for forgiveness, by reaffirming that Gil was the one he wanted to be with, but the engineer raised a hand and cut him off before he could even form the words.

“Scott, let me say something first, because I don’t think this conversation is going to go the way that you think it is, and I need to get this out there before you start overthinking again.” 

Whatever he had been expecting, that wasn’t it. He closed his mouth and considered Gil.

“You know, one of the things I like the most about you is how big your heart is. You might try to cover it up with snark every now and again, which, don’t get me wrong, I _also_ adore to pieces, but everyone who spends any time with you knows that you care. A lot. About pretty much everything.” 

Gil starting off by complimenting him was definitely not how he thought this would go. Scott sat back a bit, forced himself to relax, to trust in wherever Gil was taking him.

“You proved that by saving the cluster. But you didn’t just ‘save the cluster’ in the sense that you killed the bad guy and brought humanity home, you did it in every little way that you could. You’d see a group of kett and stop to make sure they couldn’t get their way. You’d find random people out who needed help and save their lives. You’d take down bandits and thieves who were making life hard for the settlers. You brought water to a desert. You did everything you could to help everyone you came across. And when it came to the people you couldn’t save? Well, you still carry those losses deep inside you, no matter how much you pretend it doesn’t bother you.” He paused here, giving them both time to ponder everyone who hadn’t been saved. Gil cleared his throat then, and shifted a bit. “How could I ever think that a guy with a heart as big as yours would be limited to one man?”

The question hung in the air for a moment, and Scott thought he should have an answer to it, but he didn’t. It stayed there between them as Scott felt more uncertain every nanosecond that passed. 

“You aren’t the first poly guy I’ve been with Scott,” Gil finally finished off his statement, cutting clear though the anxiety that was building in Scott. He leaned a little closer, shortening the distance this conversation had put between them. “I’m just hoping that you’ll be the last, because I’m in this for long haul, no matter what that means. You need to know that I accept you, Scott. _All_ of you.”

Scott was stunned for a moment, and then realized that he really shouldn’t be. Gil was never the type to take offense to someone just being who they were. Slowly, he moved to close the rest of the distance between them. He ended up nearly laying across Gil and wrapping his arm around him. His head rested against Gil’s chest. The position was awkward, so Gil shifted a bit and they both settled against the couch and lay together. 

“I love you, Gil,” Scott said. His words were soft but somehow filled the every corner of their shared home.

“I love you too, Scott.” 

They allowed the space to lapse into silence then, and found comfort in just _being_ together. That stuffed elcor form Meri’s toy box watched over them as Scott closed his eyes and let himself be comforted by Gil’s heartbeat and warmth. 

Finally, Gil broke the silence. “You know this does mean I have to meet him properly though. He might not be interested in sharing and in that case we should talk about what that means. Face to face. You should arrange that. I’ll bring my cards. To help break the ice.” 

Scott chuckled a bit. “You do realize that he’s a professional smuggler and a gambler, right? Think you can keep your winning streak?”

“Why, Scott, I’m offended that you’d even have to ask that,” Gil replied in a tone that was as far from offended as he could get. 

 

The next day he was outside of Tartarus again, but this time he wasn’t alone. Gil was there with him, dressed in comfortable clothes. They looked like could have been a couple arriving at the club to relax and dance, but Scott couldn’t relax at all. His stomach felt like a ball of nerves and excitement. 

Gil had been right that Reyes might not be interested any more. It had been a year since they had been in that cave together. A year since he hadn’t interfered with Sloane’s death. A year since he had stood by and let that sniper take her out. At the time, he had felt so betrayed and furious, but it had been at himself just as much as Reyes. Now, all he could really feel was regret that he hadn’t reached out to take Reyes’s hand and offer him the acceptance that Gil was offering them both now.

Gil hadn’t really visited the slums before. Scott got the impression that they brought back some unhappy memories for him, but never pushed to get him to talk more about it. However, once they were inside of the club he seemed far to amused with the variety of dancers. 

“Is that a salarian? Well, it takes all types, I guess.” 

Then they were walking upstairs and opening the door that lead to Reyes. 

Reyes saw Scott first and the familiar smile crept onto his lips. Then he noticed Gil and something artificial and guarded covered up the genuine warmth. Scott wasn’t even sure if Gil saw it, but for how much he had paid attention to Reyes’s face it seemed clear and obvious to him. 

“How can help you gentlemen today?” 

Gil entered the room and looked around. “Scott doesn’t seem to think I’d beat you at poker. I’m here to challenge you and find out.” His voice was so matter-of-fact, as if that kind of first impression wasn’t completely out of left field. He didn’t bother telling Reyes who he was. The entire cluster knew who the Pathfinder’s lover was.

Reyes chuckled a bit then, and relaxed his shoulders. He gestured towards his table. “Well, then, I’m never one to turn down a good game. What are we betting?” 

“What do you want?” Gil asked, narrowing his eyes a bit as he took in Reyes’s response to this question. Scott could almost see Gil sizing him up for the poker match, taking in any little thing that could be a tell.

“I have a few cargo ships that need certain modifications. I hear you’re a pretty talented engineer. If I win you take a look at them - free of charge of course. And _no questions asked_.”

Scott could have expected that. Reyes was a business man, through and through, and Gil would be an asset. He was damn good at what he did - the best even. More than that, if the Nexus saw that he was the one who made the modifications on the ship’s manifest they might not look as closely at them. There were perks to being on the Pathfinder’s team, even more when you were his partner on top of that. 

“Deal.” Gil said. He came forward and took Reyes’s hand to shake on the agreement. “However, if I win, you take Scott on a date. A _real_ date.” 

Reyes’s reaction to that was immediate and priceless. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped. He glanced at Scott before focusing on Gil again. For someone who usually prided himself on being in control of almost everything, this had blindsided him.

“Good, you’re off balance. That will make it easier for me to win,” Gil said, poking at Reyes’s competitiveness to get him to recover from the shock. 

It worked. Reyes seemed to center himself. He glanced between the two of them again. “Why do I get the feeling this game is going to cause me a lot more trouble than I originally thought?” Still, he didn’t seem to even consider saying no. Instead, he walked over to sit at his table and let Gil deal. 

There were few things as attractive to Scott as watching Gil play poker. He was always so confident and assured in himself. He shined during different bets. He let his fingers caress his cards in a way that Scott wasn’t sure he knew was so seductive. As Scott settled to watch both of these beautiful men play this game, he wasn’t sure he’d ever see anything this erotic again. 

Both Reyes and Gil played off one another well, each one focused on the other. The game became less and less about the cards as it went, and more about reading each other, figuring out if this arrangement would work. 

Scott couldn’t help but notice, his excitement building as he did, that Reyes hadn’t turned them away. If anything, he seemed interested in seeing how this would play out, if Gil was bluffing in his offer to share. 

Finally, the game ended, and Reyes had his cards planted face down on the table. “I fold. I’m not sure I can best you,” he stated, as he sat back. He was pointedly not looking at Scott. Now was the time to call the real bluff, to see if the demand for a date had been genuine. To tell what kind of man Gil was.

“Ahah,” Gil replied. He didn’t seem to care that Reyes was sizing him up. He was far too self-satisfied for that. “Winning streak intact!” 

“Scott,” came SAM’s voice through his head. “Biometric scans indicate that Reyes is lying. He is confident in the cards that he was dealt, he’s throwing the game on purpose.”

Before either of them could stop him or comment further on the outcome of the game, Scott came closer and grabbed Reyes’s cards. He quickly flipped them over. There, clearly displayed on the table, was a straight flush in clubs. The numbers 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 all lined out neatly. Their black print seemed to shine through the impossible white of the background of the cards.

Gil looked over at them and then back at Reyes. After a moment, he started to laugh. Reyes was bemused, already caught in his lie but seemingly not called out on it. He considered Scott’s laughing partner and then finally looked back up to Scott. There was a level of confusion on his face, as he expected Scott to explain himself.

In response, Scott only shrugged.

After a moment, Reyes settled back again, accepting that he probably would never have all of the answers when it came to the human Pathfinder. “I could always use a free engineer instead,” he offered finally. 

“Not so fast, oh mighty Charlatan,” Gil replied evenly. He set his own cards down then, and the bright red letters of a diamond’s royal flush gleamed up at them. “Seems you didn’t have to throw in the towel to get the outcome you wanted, huh?” That self-satisfied look settled even more permanently on his face. He sat back and folded his arms over his chest.

“How did you even manage...?” Reyes asked, staring at the cards now more than anything. He might have indeed gotten the outcome he wanted no matter what, but if he had played properly it would have been through impossible luck.

“Hey,” Gil replied. After a moment, he leaned forward to gather up his cards. “When the universe gives you a sign like that, I say you got to follow it through.” He finished picking up the cards and stood. 

“I’ll even go take a look at those ships for you, as an act of good will. You and Scott probably need some time alone anyway.” 

Scott had his own smile on his face. He felt so utterly blown away and lucky to have Gil. He saw Gil out, pausing for a quick kiss to reassure them both that this was still real, but closing the door and turning to look at Reyes. 

Reyes hadn’t moved from his seat. He seemed a little dazed; he never could have anticipated the course of events the day had taken. 

“I’m very lucky he seems to be on my side. A man like that could easily take me out without much effort, I bet.”

“There seems to be a lot of luck going around today.” The cards both of the men had been dealt were supposed to be nearly impossible. For them to show up during the same game seemed like a damn miracle. 

Finally Reyes stood and closed the distance between them. His smile was natural again, but muted, almost too calm. He reached up to touch the side of Scott’s face and let himself just enjoy that contact for a moment. 

“I know what you mean,” he replied, before leaning in for a kiss.


	3. Chapter 3

The kiss began gently. It started with both of them exploring one another and then grew steadily in heat and passion. Reyes pressed into Scott and moved him until his back was against the hard wall. Scott could feel an entire year’s worth of desire pouring out from the kiss. Reyes placed his arm on the wall near Scott’s head, framing him in a way that made him feel claimed. 

Scott’s hands moved to Reyes’s sides and gripped hard onto his padded clothing. He was wearing his hoodie when he arrived with Gil, confident that he didn’t need his armor when he was walking through Reyes’s domain. The fabric did little to protect him from feeling Reyes’s protective vest against his chest.

He groaned softly, the noise of it vibrated off the kiss. Reyes took that as an invitation and pressed in even harder. His tongue was in Scott’s mouth. Scott could taste homemade whiskey still lingering on Reyes’s lips. He opened his mouth, let Reyes move in deeper to take and taste whatever he liked. 

The kiss lasted until they needed to breathe. Reyes pulled back just enough to allow them both to gasp for air. They stayed as close as they could, faces still inches from each other. Scott kept his hands gripped tightly against padded cloth as he looked into Reyes’s eyes. 

They were so beautiful, and for a moment Scott wondered if he’d ever really appreciated them before. He knew that he had admired them when they had shared Mount Milgrom and looked over Kadara Port, but had he taken the time to fully partake in them then? The most he could remember from that night was that it had ended rather passionately, and had left Scott feeling as if he had the whole cluster at his fingertips. Then Sloane had asked him to come with him to meet the Charlatan and everything had fallen apart. 

Finally, they could stitch the pieces back together. They could find one another again. Gil had made sure of that.

“You don’t seem to mind the idea of sharing,” Scott said once he found his voice. He needed to make sure this situation was clearly defined. He had too much to protect to let miscommunication seep in and ruin it.

“Whatever made you think I wouldn’t be?” Reyes asked. He shifted his arm so that his hand was touching Scott’s face again. He stroked his thumb over Scott’s cheek and let his expression show just how amazed he was that Scott was there with him. “You are a treasure worth sharing.”

At first all Scott could do was stare and then a snort of laughter left him. “Fuck, I forgot how sappy you can be.”

They chuckled together and Reyes leaned closer. He moved to rest his head against Scott’s shoulder. “You do that to me,” he said. His voice was quiet as he spoke. He had never thought he’d get the chance to admit that Scott still had his heart. “You’ve always done that to me, but I’ve been desperately hiding it since you told me that this – whatever this is – was over.”

Scott trailed his hand around Reyes’s side and pressed it against his back. His grip was more secure now and it forced him to close the small gap between their bodies. “I was pretty upset,” he admitted. He had hated standing aside and letting Sloane die. At the time, he had blamed Reyes, but it hadn’t been Reyes who had asked him to come along. It hadn’t been Reyes who had forced him to plant his feet in the ground and let the sniper’s shot land. He hadn’t planned to drag Scott into that moment and had done what he could to make things easier after. “But I understand now what you were doing. Kadara is much better off when the Collective in charge.” There were no more beatings in the streets, no more high protection fees. Kadara Port would never be the picture of lawfulness, but at least her people were less miserable. 

Reyes pulled away. Without his weight pressed against him, Scott felt strangely cold and lonely. He wanted to reach out and pull Reyes back towards to wall. He wanted to keep them pressed as near to each other as possible. 

Instead, he watched Reyes move to get something to drink and then gesture to the couch. He crossed the room to settle on the couch as instructed. 

“We should talk,” Reyes said after a moment. He paused as he opened his bottle, as if the words ‘we should talk’ left a lingering impression in his mouth. Then he looked over at Scott to clarify. “About what you want from me. Am I going to be that fling on the side you use to get a cheap thrill before going back to your husband and daughter?” 

Scott frowned at that question and shook his head. “No,” he answered. His voice was firm. “I don’t want that. I want to be with you, Reyes.” Somehow, putting those feelings to words seemed to make Scott all the more certain of them. He had been so ashamed of them before, but now it seemed right and natural.

He had spent the last year ignoring the way that Reyes made his stomach do flips and his heart flutter. He had tried to pretend that they were just friends – really good friends, who toppled regimes together and checked one another out when they thought the other wasn’t looking, but still just friends. That masquerade had led to a sense of loss and anxiety over what he was trying to hide. Gil had opened the door to let him bring those feelings into the light. The last thing he wanted was to shove them all back into the dark. 

It was important to him that Reyes didn’t feel used or overlooked. Reyes wasn’t just an exotic toy for him to play with. He wasn’t trying to get his rocks off here, he was trying to show that those emotions hadn’t gone away. He hadn’t forgotten what it felt like to look at Reyes and see someone spectacular. In many ways, he still did.

He thought about pointing out that he and Gil weren’t husbands, not yet anyway, but that wasn’t the point. What mattered now was how the two of them felt for each other.

“I care about you.”

He presented the words as an offering and watched as Reyes’s shoulders tightened . Reyes poured himself a glass of amber liquor, downed it, winced hard as he swallowed, and then poured himself another. After that, he came back over to Scott’s side and sat himself down gracefully near him. 

“I care about you too, Scott. I never stopped caring about you. I gave you space because you needed it, but I never wanted to end things between us.” 

Scott nodded. He should have known that Reyes’s feelings hadn’t simply disappeared. It made him feel like a jerk that he had even considered the idea that Reyes had simply moved on. “I’m sorry that I rejected you that day.”

“No. You don’t have to be sorry. You’ve put a lot of work into being a good man. What happened in that cave might have led to a better Kadara, but I wouldn’t call it good. I’ve never been very good at being good.” Reyes spoke with an easy confidence, but at the admittance be looked to the side and sipped at his drink.

“I think you’re a better man than you give yourself credit for,” Scott countered without hesitation. He saw the way that Reyes struggled to rebuild Kadara and how those efforts had lead to a peaceful relationship between the Exiles and the outpost settlers. If it hadn’t been for him, Scott doubted the outpost would have been reclassified as a colony so soon. They’d likely still be fighting off scavengers and paying Sloane’s goons to leave them alone. When he looked at Reyes he didn’t see a man who only brought bad into the world.

Reyes met his gaze for a moment and then a soft smile reached his lips. “See? That’s what I meant before. That’s the way you used to look at me. I loved that.” 

Scott raised his brow. “What do you mean? I’m just looking at you like any normal person would.”

“You, my friend, are anything but normal,” Reyes pointed out. He set down his glass and turned his body to face Scott more fully. “Your Gil told me to take you on a date. What sort of date would you like to go on?”

Scott made a soft, amused noise at the idea. He liked the way that Reyes’s called Gil ‘his’ so casually. There was acknowledgment that he wouldn’t be abandoning Gil to do this. “I’m not sure. What’s there to do that’s fun around here?”

“Oh, plenty. Depends on how much illegal activity you’re willing to overlook.”

“I’m pretty sure wherever I go with you I’m going to be too distracted to look around much.”

That made Reyes laugh softly. He slid closer so that he could put his hand on Scott’s leg. “It will be hard to take my eyes off of you as well.”

Scott knew Reyes had meant to give him that opening, and he was just cheesy enough to walk right through it. “I hope that’s not the only thing that will be hard.”

Reyes let himself smirk at that and then leaned forward so that his mouth was near Scott’s ear. “I suppose that depends on you as well, doesn’t it?”

Scott turned and captured Reyes in another kiss. This time he didn’t want to stop to talk. Instead, he twisted his body and shifted around so that he could push Reyes back and climb up on top of him. With a leg on either side of Reyes’s body and an arm around Reyes’s shoulders, he could lean down and kiss Reyes again. He crushed his lips up against Reyes. He felt Reyes settle hands on his sides, helping to steady him.

Once Scott was positioned comfortably, Reyes let his hands move down to settle on his hips. His fingers found the edge of Scott’s hoodie and slipped upwards to slide under it’s hem. His thumb hooked over the top of Scott’s trousers and trailed lightly in a circle pattern. 

Scott focused on continuing their kiss. His arm hooked around to allow his hand to slide into Reyes’s hair, while his other hand pressed into the back of the couch to give his body leverage. When Reyes’s hands slipped upward to touch more firmly against the thin shirt he wore under the hoodie, he hummed softly. Then he pulled back from the kiss just long enough to pull off the hoodie. 

Reyes let himself admire Scott’s more exposed form. The shirt he wore under the hoodie was thin and had no sleeves. It showed off his arms and was tight enough to display the lines of muscle on his chest. Once Scott returned for another kiss, Reyes reached around him to tug up the shirt and expose Scott’s back. 

For a while, Scott let himself enjoy the touch of Reyes’s hands on his back as they trailed patterns and explored his shape. Eventually, though, he pulled back again to yank off that shirt as well. It joined the hoodie beside them. Before he could lean down to return to exploring Reyes’s mouth, Reyes put a hand on his chest to stop him. 

Reyes let his eyes scan over Scott’s body. He took in the definition of muscle and the way the red light of the room seemed to play off his skin. He let his hand trailed down to tease at one of Scott’s nipples. He was satisfied when that elicited a soft hum from Scott’s lips. 

“I want you in my bed, not on this couch,” Reyes said. His voice was low, with a huskier quality than Scott had ever heard before coming from him. “Stand up.”

Scott reluctantly pulled away from Reyes and stood. He liked the idea of a bed, but he didn’t want to stop what they were doing now. His disappointment was soothed when Reyes stood up after him and took his hand. 

Reyes led the way to the bed he had as part of his agreement with Tartarus. He let go of Scott’s hand only to gesture to it. “Get comfortable.”

Scott climbed up onto the mattress, which was surprisingly soft, and watched Reyes as he moved to shrug off his outer layer of protective gear. 

“How far do you want this to go, Scott?”

Scott was momentarily distracted by watching Reyes begin to undress and forced himself to look up at Reyes’s face again. “What do you want?” he asked. 

Reyes sighed, and the sound of it was heavy. Scott wanted to come closer again and kiss away the weight that was leaning down on him. “So many things.”

“What do you want right now, in this moment?”

Reyes finished tugging off his armor so he was down to the jumpsuit underneath. He looked at Scott as he started to pull that off too.

Scott’s eyes were wide as he tried not to miss even a moment of Reyes pealing off layers to reveal skin under. 

“I want to see what you look like when you are thoroughly and completely fucked.”

Scott felt for as if his brain could hardly comprehend what Reyes’s had said. His whole body responded to it with such an overwhelming need that he could barely form a response. 

“I want you to see that too,” he managed to say. 

Then Reyes was back near the bed, mostly undressed and exposed. He took Scott’s face in his hand once more and leaned into another kiss. This kiss was hard and wanting. He shoved Scott back to get him to lie down and quickly made work of Scott’s remaining clothing. Once Scott was naked, Reyes allowed himself a moment to appreciate the view before pushing off what remained of his own clothes and climbing onto the bed with him.

The next hour was spent thoroughly exploring each other. Reyes was both desperately wanting and carefully attentive. He was rough when desire overwhelmed them both, but mindful to take his time and let them both grow used to the other’s body. He seemed concerned about hurting Scott, but couldn’t ignore that for over a year he had been holding back on his desire. It made him hungry to take as much as he could now that he was being offered it. 

Scott found himself lost in pleasure as Reyes found ways to make him gasp and beg. He was gripping onto Reyes’s arms as Reyes folded him in half and pinned him deep into the mattress. They had difficulty keeping their mouths off of one another and instead took every chance to kiss and nip whenever their angle would allow. 

By the end of it, Reyes got his wish. Scott felt thoroughly and completely fucked. They finished together and then laid with their limbs intertwined. Scott closed his eyes and listened to Reyes breathe. 

“You are so beautiful.” 

The comment filtered into Scott’s ears and made him open his eyes to look up at Reyes’s face. Once again, Reyes seemed more amazed that he had Scott with him than anything. Scott leaned up and kissed Reyes gently rather than speaking. 

 

Later, Scott was in Reyes’s shower. The stall was huge and the water pressure put the colony’s shower system to shame. He groaned a bit as the stream helped soothe the lingering soreness in his back. Reyes was working shampoo through his hair and coaxed him to tilt back to rinse off the suds. The shampoo smelled wonderful, but he couldn’t really place the scent. It was probably something native to the Heleus Cluster. 

They cleaned each other off and then moved to the main room again to gather up their clothes. 

“Is this...” Scott began, as he pulled on his hoodie. He stopped, once more distracted as Reyes bent over to pick up a stray piece of clothing. It wasn’t until Reyes stood and looked at him that he could continue. “Is this really going to work out? Are you sure you’re really all right with this arrangement?”

Reyes was quiet for a moment. It seemed like he wanted to give this the thought it deserved. After that passed, he nodded. “Scott, I know you love Gil and your daughter. I’m not about to ask you to trade them in for me.” A pause, as he fastened up a part of his armor. “You shouldn’t worry about it as much as you are. Gil and I are both grown men. We can make the choice to support you.” He came closer and reached up to straighten Scott’s hair. “And to share you.”

 

As he left Tartarus, Scott felt oddly quiet. He still couldn’t believe everything that had happened over the past couple days. He had gone from quietly pining for his friend, to being encouraged to being honest with his feelings. He had finally opened up and hadn’t lost anything for doing so. He had been so terrified of fracturing his family and now it seemed perfectly natural to have everything that made him happy.

He called up his omni tool and contacted Gil. “Gil? Are you home?”

“No,” came a response. Gil had a particular sort of distraction in his tone that Scott recognized as him working. “I’m at the docks. Come find me.” 

Scott smiled a bit at the playfulness he infused in the suggestion. Gil might be in the middle of a project, but that didn’t stop him from being a flirt. “Right away. Don’t hide too well. I’d hate to have to run around the Port screaming ‘Marco’ and confusing the hell out of the angara.”

“Hey, there’s an idea. We should play that with Jaal once we’re all on the Tempast again. We need to teach him that and Red Rover.” 

“Do we have a space big enough to play Red Rover on the Tempest?” Scott asked as he left the slums and headed to the lift that would take him to the docks. 

“Eh, I’d say we’d have to do it when you were joy riding with the Nomad planetside, but watching you fall on your ass trying to get through Drack’s grip would be half of the fun.”

Scott winced a bit at the thought of falling on his ass at all right now, but refrained from commenting on it. “That’s if we could drag him away from the Nexus. He’s enjoying being a great-grandfather a little too much, I think.”

“We could get Kesh on our side to give him the boot. I’ll explain that it’s all for the important mission of watching you lose at a kid’s game.” 

Scott laughed as he made it to the lift. “I’m heading up now. I’ll see you in a bit?”

“Red rover, red rover, send Scotty right over,” was the reply Gil gave him. 

It wasn’t that difficult to find Gil once he asked the nearest Collective guard. The ships that Reyes had mentioned he wanted modified were tucked away out of sight but the guards knew exactly which ones Scott meant. 

When Scott walked up to the first one, the guard at the ramp stepped aside and let him in. It wasn’t hard to find engineering in most human ships, but this one had an angaran design. He had to remember what Jaal had said about how they arranged their ships and then he was able to find the room where Gil was bent over a panel. 

“Hey stranger,” he said as he leaned against the nearest stack of crates. 

Gil turned from where he was working and grinned when he saw Scott. “You’re always a sight for sore eyes, aren’t you?” he replied. Then, after a moment, he turned back to look at his work. “I’m almost at a stopping point. We can head home then.” 

Scott didn’t seem to mind that idea and moved to find a place to settle. He couldn’t hide the slight wince in his movement as he sat. 

Gil heard it and looked over at Scott. One of his eyebrows rose slightly. “Good ending to your date, hm?” 

Scott blinked and tried to process how best to respond to that. When he came up with nothing he only stared at Gil with his mouth hanging stupidly open. 

“Hey, don’t look so worried, okay? I saw what Reyes looks like up close today. I’d be jumping on that the second I got permission too.” To make sure that Scott knew he was serious, Gil didn’t turn back to his work right away. He stood there and looked at him with an open and accepting expression. 

Scorr and could barely stand how much everything Gil said meant to him. “How did I end up so lucky that I found you?” he asked, amazed, yet again, how much Gil seemed to understand. 

“Well, you are the best damn Pathfinder in the cluster,” Gil pointed out. He seemed reassured that Scott wasn’t going to worry anymore, so he turned back to his work. “It’d be a real shame if you couldn’t even find your own engineer. Could you imagine? ‘The Pathfinder who couldn’t find.’ It’d ruin all of the history books.”

 

They make their way back to the colony once Gil felt confident that he could stop his work. He seemed to be buzzing a bit as they journeyed back home. He loved being with Meri. He had been the one to take to being a parent perhaps even more than Jill had, but that didn’t stop him from itching to go out and do some work. The project that Reyes had given him, though probably very illegal, made him remember how much he loved getting his hands on a ship. 

He was never really one for a lot of dancing around or jumping, but there was an energy that radiated off of him that felt almost like a kid at Christmas. Scott was ashamed to admit how little he knew about engineering, but he listened to every word of Gil’s excitement and enjoyed every moment of it. 

Then they were home with their daughter. When they got home Jill was still at work, probably held up at Kadara’s CRC headquarters. They thanked the babysitter – a young woman who worked in requisitions – and then Gil took to feeding Meri on the couch while they waited for Jill to return home. 

Scott sat next to him and watched Gil with their daughter. Gil turned so he could rest his legs across Scott’s lap and Scott’s hand trailed up and down Gil’s calf as they continued to talk about the ships that Gil was working on. 

“Reyes seems like an all right sort of guy,” Gil said once he had thoroughly explored every subject about the work he had done that day. 

Scott hummed in agreement. “He’d be the first to tell you that isn’t true, but I think he pretends to be a lot worse than he is.”

“I couldn’t see you caring as much as you do without there being something decent about him.” 

Scott realized how much easier it was getting to accept that Gil wasn’t really comparing himself to Reyes so much as offering Scott a place to talk about what had happened that day without feeling judged. 

“He once told me that he came to Andromeda to be someone.” 

“He’s got that part down, at least.” 

“Sure, but then he takes to hiding who he is and sticking to the shadows.”

Gil shrugged one shoulder, too worried to jostle Meri if he used both. “Some men don’t need parades or museums to know their accomplishments.”

“Wait, we’re planning on having parades here? Can I have the first one? We could call it ‘Pathfinder Ryder Day’ and make a whole deal of it.”

Gil laughed and Scott thought how he could listen to that sound all day.


	4. Chapter 4

Gil suffered from his own particular brand of insomnia. Scott had realized that while they were still on the Tempest. Back then, it manifested in late night, poorly composed poetry and far-too-early alarm testing that pushed Liam to use every one of the curse words he had taught Jaal. Scott had theorized that Gil was simply too restless to stay in bed for too long, and had made a point of letting Gil know he could sleep in the Pathfinder’s bed whenever he wanted to as an effort to give him something to anchor himself to, something that would let him stay and rest. It never fully worked that way, but at least Gil used his time awake to be productive. 

Parenthood seemed to be suited for Gil’s brand of insomnia. On top of always getting up when it was Jill or Scott’s night to listen for Meri’s cries, when it was Gil’s nights he would mysteriously find ways to get up and take care of the baby without either of them realizing. Then, in the morning, they’d stumble out of their respective bedrooms after a full night’s sleep to find Gil already up and ready to face the day.

This morning was no different. Scott slept more soundly that night than he had in a long time. When he woke to an empty room and when he left his it, he had messy hair and sleep encrusted eyes. He found Gil on the couch with Meri. He came around and kissed Gil lightly on the side of his head. Gil grinned up at him.

“Hey there, sleepyhead,” he said as Scott leaned over him to tickle Meri gently as a way to greet her. Her smile seemed to light up the entire room. “Jill’s already at work. Breakfast is in the kitchen.” 

Scott made an appreciative noise and wandered into the kitchen to get food. His body was still a little sore, but not enough to bother him in the long term. He stretched and focused on eating.

“I’m probably going to go back to the docks today,” Gil commented as Scott helped himself. 

“Yeah?” Scott wasn’t really surprised that Gil wanted to continue working on the ships. The restlessness that made it difficult for him to sleep at night also made him itch to do things with his hands and challenge his mind. “I guess that means I’m getting some alone time with Meri, huh? Think she’s old enough for me to teach her how to jump jet yet?” Honestly, he liked the idea of having a day just him and his daughter, but he had to throw in at least one joke.

“If you try, don’t let Jill know. I’d rather she not have a heart attack.”

“Right, so Operation: Stealthy Flying Baby is a go, as long as I don’t get caught.” 

Gil laughed and then placed Meri in her play wheel before standing. “This is why we don’t let you name operations,” he said, before moving to get dressed for work.

Gil left with a good bye kiss and Scott focused on being domestic for a while. He cleaned house, played with Meri, and then finally sent out the image files he had promised Sara. He CCed Peebee and everyone else who had been on the Tempest with him and Gil. 

Less than ten minutes later, Drack replied-all with several images of Kesh’s children - including one of the biggest male after he had snuck into Pathfinder Hall after hours and belly flopped onto Tann’s desk, leaving a noticeable dent on the top. 

Throughout the remainder of the morning responses from the rest of his scattered team filtered in. 

Liam, who was on Eos helping establish a more secure embassy for the angara in Prodromos, replied to Scott’s e-mail with questions about how things were in Kadara and how everyone was adjusting to life with a three-month old. Scott replied to that with what he thought was a reasonable amount of gushing but it earned him a private message from Gil teasingly calling him a sap.

Jaal was currently on Veold working to clear out remaining kett strongholds and asked when Ryder was planning to have more children out of fear that Meri would be lonely growing up. Liam replied to Jaal politely reminding him that human families tended to be much smaller than angaran families. Drack replied to that with “Besides, did you see my great-grandkids running around the Nexus? Once we get them to understand how squishy humans are and how you have to be gentle with them, Meri will have all of the krogan siblings she can stand.”

From the Nexus’ science labs came Suvi asking about gifts she could send and sharing ideas for baby food. “She’ll be old enough to make that transition in a month. It’s never too early to start experimenting with making her food,” she commented before providing a detailed recipe that sounded completely unappealing to Scott, no matter how many nutrients it had. 

Kallo, still piloting the Tempest for Pathfinder Rix, responded to Drack’s e-mail rather than Scott’s mostly wondering if the baby krogan had managed any other damage that inconvenienced Tann. Somehow, he was able to write with a tone that hinted that he wouldn’t mind any gossip that allowed him to envision Tann’s frustrated face. He finished off with a comment directed to Scott that marveled at how human babies seemed to be so small even after three months of development but congratulated Scott - and, as he put it, ‘even Gil’ - that she looked healthy and adorable. 

Peebee and Sara’s replies came almost simultaneously. Sara playfully berated Scott for taking so long to send the files of her ‘favorite and most perfect niece’ while Peebee’s response was just a little happy face and a heart. 

Vetra was with Sid on Meridian. She hadn’t abandoned the idea of finding a place to build a home there, so they were both working to map out the landscape and collect vital information about the ecosystem. It wasn’t something either of them had specialized in so they were considered a part of the volunteer force, doing legwork rather than extensive research. Vetra’s response to the e-mail was to talk about her memories of Sid being that young and then an aside that seemed to have been written by Sid herself which was just ‘aww’ with twenty-three w’s. 

Lexi, still on the Tempest with Kallo as her understanding of alien anatomy made her suited to serve with turians, commented on how healthy both Meri and the krogans looked and included follow up questions about diet and sleep schedules.

Cora’s response came later than the others. She was working with the asari Pathfinder team to help map out the rest of the rest of the Scourge and there was a longer time delay on her part. She thanked both Scott and Drack for including her and left off with a comment about how important it was to remember the future they were working to protect. 

Once the rest of the team had chimed in with their thoughts Gil sent Scott a single lined e-mail. “Show off,” it said, but Scott could almost feel the affection radiating from the message. It wasn’t as Gil could manage replying with sappy poetry while he was also working arm’s deep building who-knew-what kind of modifications into a cargo ship. 

The messages reminded Scott that he really was a part of a much bigger family. Because they had been living together on Kadara since Meri’s birth it was easy to think of their unit as him, Gil, and Jill but really there was an entire group of diverse people who had an interest and investment in making sure Meri grew up well. 

There were times where he worried, fretted really, that somehow Meri would grow up and feel as if she didn’t really know him. He dreaded the idea that one day she’d have similar feelings to him that he did about Alec. He had never really felt connected to his father, not in the same way that Sara had. 

“Hey SAM?” Scott asked before he could stop himself. 

“Yes Scott?” came the voice in his head. 

“Do you have any memories from dad of me and Sara when we were babies?” He had Meri resting against his chest now and his arm shifted around her to make sure she was secure.

“Yes,” SAM replied to the question. “Those memories were among the most cherished that Alec possessed. Often, when he felt himself losing hope in his work, he would recall them to give him strength.”

There was a part of Scott that found that idea to be completely unbelievable. “Really?” he asked, knowing that SAM could pick up on that emotion more deeply than any other person could. He experienced it right alongside Scott and could accurately assess and respond to it.

SAM was quiet for a moment. It was rare for him to need to formulate a response to an inquiry like that and the pause made Scott wonder what he was thinking. 

“As you are currently experiencing fatherhood for yourself, do you believe that you won’t do the same? If your work takes a turn that seems hopeless, will you not recall this moment as a way to motivate yourself?”

It was Scott’s turn to be quiet. He looked down at the sleeping infant in his arms and found that he couldn’t imagine saying no to that question. He wondered if there was a way he could freeze this moment in time and easily recall it for the rest of his life.

“Alec regretted that he wasn’t closer with you. With him, I experienced that as old wound, an issue that had no simple solution. His actions had already driven an emotional wedge between the two of you. With you, I am currently experiencing the fear of following in those footsteps, of repeating his mistakes. Through both of you, I realize there is very little that can be accurately predicted with one hundred percent efficiency. Life does not appear to be something that allows you to control all variables. The best action is to keep those variables and all available information in mind and proceed to the best of your ability.” 

Scott shifted a bit so that he could comfortably rub a hand over Meri’s back. Her body was so small, so vulnerable, and yet she seemed to be everything that truly mattered. 

“Alec hoped that Andromeda would be a new beginning for your family. He hoped to find a way to reconnect.”

“And instead he died,” Scott answered. The grief he had felt this sister seemed ready to return, clouding his vision for a moment. 

“To save you,” SAM responded. 

For the first time since Habitat 7, Scott realized that that choice made all the sense in the world. 

 

Rations were being handed late in the afternoon, so Scott put on the sling they used to take Meri out and walked over the requisitions headquarters. If you couldn’t make it there physically, they would deliver door to door but it was always much later and your choices were far more limited. 

Scott arrived and got in line to grab a crate he could fill with food and other items for the house and then push back home once they were done. He was about the front of the line when the angaran woman that had been on the Outcast investigation team, whose name was Jani, appeared at his side. 

“Do you mind help, Pathfinder?” she asked as she gestured to the crate. He backed off and let her take control of it. She moved with him through the stacks of rations to pick up what had been assigned to his family.

Admittedly, the process for him probably went much smoother than it did for the other colonists, but that didn’t stop him from having to pause every once and a while as others stopped to say hi to Meri and marvel at how big she had gotten. She was part of the first new generation and her being there was a sign that things could work out in Andromeda. Jani stood by silently as he worked to fill the crate and give gracious greetings to anyone who spoke to him. 

It wasn’t until they were far away from the listening range of others that he was able to speak freely to her. “Is everything all right?” he asked.

“We’ve found several more meeting sites similar to the one that you and SAM discovered. We were hoping that SAM might be able to use information from the sites to narrow down where the Outcasts may be based.”

Ryder nodded at that and felt a bit of urgency in her tone. He put a hand on Meri’s back as if protecting her from the danger the Outcasts posed. Touching her also reminded him that he couldn’t just leave to go hunt them. “I can’t check that out right now. I’m in charge of Meri today.”

She seemed to honestly sympathize with that and apologized in a very sincere way. Even the angara who lived on Kadara thought of family as the most important priority. “We do have a transport to take you to the docks if you’d like to speak to your mate. Your daughter could stay with him while we look into the issue.” 

“Okay, sure,” that seemed reasonable after all. “Let’s get this stuff inside first and let me get my gear and some things Gil will need if he’s going to have her with him while he works.” 

Jani turned out to be extremely helpful in making sure the house was in order and they had everything they needed. She even took to entertaining Meri while Scott suited up into his armor. She talked about her younger siblings as they made quick work of putting everything away and how much they meant to her. 

“Sloane kicked one of our brothers out of the Port because he didn’t have the fees she insisted upon. He had become hooked on Oblivion and couldn’t pay. He died out there in the wilderness,” she shared. 

“I’m so sorry you had to deal with that,” he offered, never fully sure what to say when someone exposed their personal tragedy. 

She waved away his empathy. “Don’t be. If not for you and The Charlatan, we’d still be under her rule. I only bring it up to tell you why it is important we go tonight, despite the fact that it takes you from such a precious little one.”

He could accept that and hurried to make sure they had everything before leaving a note for Jill in case she came home and locking up the house. 

The transport ride was smooth and easy. Before he knew it, he was on the docks and inside of the ship where Gil was working. When he looked up and saw Scott in full armor and Jani holding Meri’s carrier he seemed to understand what that meant.

“Uh-oh, Pathfinder business, huh?” 

Scott gave him an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. I know you wanted to work distraction free, but it’s about the Outcasts gaining another foothold on Kadara and we need to investigate.”

Gil made a face at that. “Hey, no need to apologize. If those assholes come back they might try to make trouble for us. I say, give them a kick in the balls now before they can even try it.” He came closer to take the baby’s carrier from Jani and then spoke directly to her. “Besides, Meri wants to see Da-Da work, doesn’t she? She wants to see him be a super awesome genius, right?””

Scott grinned then helped Gil make sure the area where Meri would stay was comfortable for her. There was a quick kiss good bye and a reminder to ‘stay safe’ before Scott and Jani could head out.

Back at the transport, the scarred man from the team was waiting for him. He nodded to them and then made a hand movement at Jani.

“Yes, we’re ready,” he replied.

Scott realized that there had been a reason that he hadn’t spoken before. “Petre, was it?” he asked the man. 

Petre nodded at him as he and Jani pulled up their omni tools to reconnect to SAM’s public channel. 

“If you sign again where I can see it, SAM and translate for us. You don’t have to keep passing messages back and forth between me and Jani, all right?”

Petre and Jani exchanged surprised looks and he signed something that SAM helpfully translated to ‘Useful robot, isn’t it?’ 

SAM already was offering a rebuttal through their omni tools as they climbed into the transport about how he was actually a highly advanced AI, and not ‘a robot.’

‘Chatty, too’ Petre added. 

 

There were three abandoned meeting spots they had to investigate. The first, SAM explained, had last been used several days before the site they had already tagged for surveillance. Still, they tagged this one as well and then moved on. 

The other two were used closer in time and SAM was able to discover a unique signal that was present in the equipment being used. That was a huge lead, and SAM ran a quick scan of the planet to find any other spots where the signal was being used.

That led them to a patch of land that was very far off from the colony and Kadara Port. When they arrived, all Scott could see was a large empty field that showed signs of being used to transport a lot of crates. There were take-off marks from ships and impressions in the ground of the large containers. One of them had been left behind when a lock failed and it scattered the contents across the landscape. It was this crate that was giving off the same signal as the equipment used at the meeting places. 

The trio touched down on the ground and moved to find out what was inside. What they found was an impressive array of firearms.

“Oh,” Scott commented. “That is not a good sign.”


	5. Chapter 5

By the time that they made it back to the Port it was starting to get rather late. Scott expected that he’d make it to the docks and then find a way back to the colony, but when they arrived they were informed that Gil and Meri were still there. 

Despite the part of Scott’s brain that said he should be annoyed that Gil was keeping Meri out so late, he felt relieved that he’d be able to see his partner that much sooner. He said good bye to Jani and Petre and then walked back to the secluded area where Reyes was keeping the cargo ships. When he entered the one Gil was working on, what he found surprised him.

Reyes was there with Gil and Meri. He was sitting on a small crate with Meri sleeping next to him while Gil was in the middle of working on the underside of a panel. Gil was laid out on the floor, reaching up into the ships bowels with an all purpose tool between his teeth. Because he was so preoccupied, Reyes was the one to notice Scott. 

“Ah, Scott. How did the investigation go?” he asked. 

Gil slid from out of the panel at the sound of Scott’s name, curious about an update on the Outcasts just as much as Reyes. 

Scott sighed and then shook his head. “I’m not sure it’s the Outcasts. It could just be smugglers. Whoever they are, they’re moving weapons, Reyes. A lot of weapons. We weren’t able to track them fully. They had a radiation trail that went into orbit and dissipated. SAM thinks it’s possible they either left the system or were moving to the other side of the planet.” 

Reyes frowned at the news. It wasn’t what he was hoping to hear. “Even the angara avoid that. It’s too wild, too overgrown.”

“A perfect place to hide then,” Gil pointed out. 

Reyes seemed doubtful. “That would be like hiding from pirates in the Scourge.”

“Ha, you do remember who you’re talking to right? Scott literally did that exact thing that you just said only substitute pirates for the kett.”

“I heard the stories, but I didn’t think they were true.”

“Well they were, and he busted up my sweetheart pretty good too.”

Reyes shot Scott a concerned look.

Scott shook his head, waving away the concern. “He means the Tempest, not me.”

“Damn right I mean the Tempest. Then I had to make a bunch of repairs, _on the fly_ , while surrounded by brand new aliens who were extremely put out that we had crashed into their super secret Resistance party without even checking with the bouncer at the door.”

“Ah, that I did hear about. Evfra was not happy.”

“Is Evfra ever happy?” Scott asked. He felt oddly relaxed and far too pleased at seeing Gil and Reyes speaking so comfortably to one another. It felt so right and natural that Scott wondered how he could have ever thought things would go differently between them.

“Not that I’ve seen,” Reyes replied with an amused tone.

“My point still stands,” Gil spoke out. “Hiding in dangerous places has always been the tactic of desperate people.”

“The question then is who else would be that desperate if not the Outcasts?” Reyes mused.

“That’s if they are hiding on the other side of the planet,” Scott pointed out. “If it’s smugglers, they might have left the system with the weapons.” 

Reyes accepted that, but still seemed wary. “I’ll have my people scout what they can.” It was dangerous to do fly overs of that land, but not impossible. It was also much, much easier now that the water wasn’t poison. 

Scott felt reassured. The Collective could gather intel better than almost anyone. Anyone other than a SAM, at least. “I’ll have SAM continue to run scans as well.”

Reyes nodded. “It’s comforting to know we still make a good team.” His voice was dripping with double meaning. 

Scott let one of his eyebrows raise. “I never doubted that.” There was a moment of quiet between the three of them until Gil cleared his throat and got up to put away his tools. 

“You should tell Scott what we were talking about,” Gil offered.

“Ah, yes. I think it would be a good idea for the Collective to work with the CRC. Gil and I were speaking about arranging for the CRC representatives to meet with Keema Dohrgun. During that meeting, she will assign three Collective members to ally with the CRC and begin recruiting exiles who live on the Port to the CRC’s repopulation efforts.”

Gil was grinning now. “Jill is going to be so jazzed. She didn’t think you’d pull it off.”

Scott shrugged. “I never doubted it. I have all the right connections, after all.” He gave Reyes and affectionate little smirk. “Let me guess, you’ll be one of the three?”

Reyes opened his arms, a gesture that Scott had long ago learned to read as ‘of course’ or ‘who else?’ “Naturally. I’m sure many will be lining up just based on the promise that they’ll get to have devilishly handsome children with my DNA.”

“Uh-huh, they’ll just be after your samples, nothing else?” Scott asked, with a tone of disbelief. He could imagine a few women being interested in sharing more with Reyes.

“Well, in that they’ll be disappointed. I am spoken for, after all.” 

“Is he always this cheesy?” Gil asked, though his tone was one of amusement. He had this strange glimmer in his eyes, and Scott realized that he was happy. He enjoyed seeing Scott interact with Reyes. A long time ago Scott had learned of the concept of compersion, but seeing that emotion on Gil’s face made his heart warm. 

“Oh no, he gets much worse,” Scott said as he came over to Reyes and leaned down to kiss him gently on the top of his head. “Thank you,” Scott told Reyes. “It means a lot that you took my suggestion seriously.”

Reyes relaxed and smiled at the kiss. “Well, you were right about looking towards the future.”

Scott allowed himself a moment to just enjoy that smile before reality seeped back in. “Speaking of the future, we should probably get Meri home before Jill kills us.”

Gil winced. “Oh, right. It’s really late isn’t it?” He moved to get all of Meri’s stuff together. “Go on,” he told Reyes and Scott as he shoved things into her pack. “Say good bye properly. Don’t hold back on my account.” 

Reyes chuckled gently and stood, getting very close to Scott in the process. “Thank you for joining the investigation today. I felt comforted knowing you were looking into this.”

“Well, that SAM was looking into it anyway,” Scott replied, putting his hands on Reyes’s waist. 

“You’re still my favorite bonus,” Reyes countered, before leaning in to kiss Scott. It was deep, and warm, and left Scott feeling more than a little dazed and distracted. 

“Damn, Vidal,” Gil said once they had pulled away from each other. “You keep kissing him like that and even I’ll want a turn.”

 

Reyes arranged a transport for them to get home faster. Jill was annoyed that they were out so late, but her excitement over the idea of arranging a program between the CRC and the Exiles overwhelmed that. Scott watched as Gil skillfully brought it up at just the right moment to defuse her irritation completely and then started to get Meri ready for bed. It was his night to be on baby watch, after all.

 

It was a few days later that Jill, Scott, Gil and two of Jill’s co-workers were in front of Keema Dohrgun. It had taken arranging things with the Nexus in order to get this meeting, but eventually they were able to get everything approved. It helped that Scott had basically lectured Tann on the importance of bringing the Exiles back into the fold. They brought Meri with them, and Keema was delighted to meet her. She stood from her throne and came over to greet the child.

“This is the daughter you share with the Pathfinder?” she asked Jill.

Scott had gotten used to reading happiness on agaran faces, and he could see it in Keema’s now. He really did like her, and watching her respond to a human infant with such emotion would have improved that opinion either way but as it was his daughter she was complimenting with her joy he felt even more affection towards her. 

“That’s right,” Jill answered. “This our Meri. She’s mine, Scott’s, and Gil’s.”

Keema turned her attention to Gil then and was pleased to meet him as well. “You’re the Pathfinder’s mate? It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” 

Gil had been practicing the angaran greeting and pressed the back of his arm against hers. “The feeling’s mutual. Kadara Port has improved greatly since it returned to angaran hands.” 

Keema made an amused sound and then set to introducing herself to the other two humans who came, Kahil Powell and Mai Mendoza. Scott knew both of them had woken from cyro the same time as Jill and worked closely with her on each of the outposts he had established. They had settled on Kadara around the same time that the three of them had moved in. Mai had even been the one to help Jill through her pregnancy.

“As you are all probably aware,” Keema explained as she turned from the humans to go back to her throne. “Family is extremely important to the angara. If it was widely known that their human friends and companions still had a blocker in their bodies that prevented from from having children, I’m sure many would see that as a tragedy to be solved immediately.” She sat down and gave the humans her full attention. “Because of that, I am authorizing the increased presence of Nexus personnel in Kadara Port provided they are tied to this repopulation effort.” 

Scott inclined his head a bit. “Thank you, Keema. We won’t abuse your hospitality.”

“I’m sure of it, Pathfinder. You are a friend to this Port and to its people. I have to say I find it immensely comforting that your family is behind this effort. Otherwise, more Nexus personnel might make us nervous – considering what happened when your exiled chief of security made herself comfortable here.”

“We are not Sloane Kelly,” Kahil stated right away. His tone was so deliberate that Scott wondered what he had suffered during the Uprising. He had never thought to ask that of Kahil before.

“Yes, thankfully there was only one of her,” Keema responded. “And now we have our Collective friends here instead.” 

Finally Scott allowed himself to glance over at Reyes. He was sitting off to the side with Crux and Lynx. They were apparently the Collective members Reyes had hand picked for this program. It made sense to pick Crux, as she acted like a de facto second in command when needed. Seeing her would soothe concerns about if this program was directly approved by The Charlatan. Lynx just seemed happy to being doing something that would take her out into the sun and she served to help alleviate protests that the program would be human focused. The other races had their own blockers to be removed, after all, and having an asari would help remind people of that. Keema briefly introduced them to the CRC representatives, just giving their names and positions within the Collective. She called Reyes a low level operative and associate of the angaran Resistance.

“I think it would be best if Crux worked with Kahil, Lynx with Mai, and Reyes with Jill,” she added finally. “You can divide the work as you would like. I would appreciate having the final say of the times and dates of any big events, however. I’m sure you understand.” 

“We do,” Jill said. “You want control over any influx of visitors. I’d feel the same way about my home.” 

Keema was satisfied with that answer and then dismissed them all. Crux and Lynx stood to go meet their assigned humans and the four of them started to make their way out of the room. 

“Oh, Pathfinder, I hope you don’t mind if I ask you and your family to stay a bit longer,” Keema said pointedly. “I would love to get to know your adorable daughter better.”

“Of course,” Scott answered politely. As Jill made her way closer to give Keema a better view of Meri, Scott shot Reyes a curious expression.

Reyes gave nothing away, but instead remained where he had been left by Crux and Lynx.

Once the other CRC members were gone, Keema looked to her guards. “Oh come on you three, I’m sure I’m safe with the Pathfinder. Why don’t you take a break?” 

They didn’t need to be told again, and eventually it was just Scott’s family, Keema, and Reyes left in the room. 

“What’s this really about?” Scott asked, looking between Keema and Reyes. 

Keema was distracted by making faces at Meri. The baby grinned and reached out to touch her. 

“The truth,” Reyes answered. He stood finally and came over to them – or more specifically, he came up to Jill. 

Jill seemed to realize that something was going on and looked at him curiously. 

“I am Reyes Vidal,” he told her. “I am the one who is behind today’s meeting. Behind everything to do with the Collective, really.”

It took Jill a moment to realize what he was saying. “You’re...” she started. 

“Yeah, yeah, he’s The Charlatan. He’s also Scott’s boyfriend,” Gil offered, completely taking the wind out of Reyes’ dramatic reveal.

Scott made a soft, amused sound as Reyes blinked in surprise. 

“Boyfriend, huh?” he asked, glancing at Scott. 

“Well, that’s what this arrangement is, isn’t it?” Gil pointed out. He crossed his arms over his chest and seemed far too pleased with himself. 

Jill had to take a moment to process. Instead of being confused and worried though, she just politely asked Keema to hold Meri for a moment and then turned to playfully smack Gil on the arm. 

“Ow!” Gil protested, but the sound was more one of amusement than pain. “What’s that for?”

“The _Charlatan_? You mean to tell me that Scott’s other other-half is the Charlatan and neither of you saw fit to tell me?” She turned her attention from Gil to Scott, who raised his hands in supplication. “The Charlatan? Really, Scott?” 

“In his defense, you can clearly see Reyes now right? You get what I was saying before?” Gil offered. 

Scott realized that Gil had probably told Jill something about his second relationship by way of comforting her that he was all right, and was a little curious about what Gil had said now. 

Jill turned and looked directly at Reyes. Her eyes narrowed a bit. Reyes raised his brow in return but seemed smart enough to leave his mouth closed. 

“I guess,” Jill said finally, not giving any clue as to what Gil had told her about Reyes. “This also does explain why the Collective seems so interested in protecting me during my morning runs.” 

“You saw them?” Reyes asked. 

“Where I grew up, strange men taking an interest in you is something you have to see if you want to keep yourself safe,” Jill countered. “I wasn’t worried about them though, it became clear pretty early on they were guards. I just thought Scott was calling in a favor.”

“I didn’t want anything to happen to a member of his family,” Reyes admitted, his voice gentle. 

“Wait, you sent people to watch after Jill? Even before you and Scott got back together?” Gil asked, a little surprised at first. When Reyes only nodded, he seemed amused. “I can’t believe he was ever worried you wouldn’t want him back...”

Scott cleared his throat then, not really wanting to keep watching this conversation deteriorate to them making fun of his anxieties. “Why did you want to reveal yourself to Jill?” he asked Reyes.

“Isn’t it obvious, Pathfinder,” Keema chimed in. She had been bouncing Meri lightly and very much enjoying holding her. “He doesn’t want to do anything that will jeopardize your family. Making sure all parties have the same information about each other is needed for open communication.” 

Jill seemed pretty comforted by that. “Good point,” she said. Then she held out a hand to Reyes for him to shake. “Welcome to the family.” 

Reyes took her hand and shook it. “I’m happy to be here, and I apologize if the truth of my identity upset you.”

“I’m not upset. I’m just surprised that someone who managed to overthrow an entrenched regime would be interested in this loser.” As she spoke Jill gestured towards Scott. 

Scott knew better than to take any of her insults seriously. Honestly, it was Jill’s way of showing affection for someone. 

“Hey, that loser is one of the fathers of your kid,” Gil pointed out, but he seemed more amused at how Jill was handling the news than anything. 

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without him,” Reyes added. He gave Scott an affectionate smile.

“Oh, now I see it. That’s what you were talking about, Gil,” Jill said flatly. 

“What did you tell her about Reyes?” Scott asked Gil, curiosity getting the better of him before he could stop himself.

“That he was classically handsome in a sexy-bad-boy sort of way and that he looked at you like you hung each of the stars in the sky by hand,” Gil replied. 

Keema laughed at that description. “Oh, he understands you well, Reyes. I’d be careful if I were you.” 

 

Once things had settled down, Reyes gestured for Jill to join in at a table. The four of them sat, Meri now safely back in her mother’s lap. Jill arranged a blanket over her chest so she could feed Meri while they spoke.

“There is one thing I want to point out,” Reyes stated. “I don’t think we should call the program here ‘the CRC.’ The name is too ‘Nexus,’ if you know what I mean.” 

Scott had remembered that Reyes had mentioned finding a new name for the repopulation effort, but he hadn’t realized he was so serious about it.

“This is a Nexus program,” Jill pointed out. “They are the ones with the technology and resources.”

“True,” Reyes conceded. “But if the program smells too much like the Nexus, many Exiles won’t join up on principle. They’ll let our numbers dwindle just out of spite.”

“Okay, I hear what you’re saying,” Jill replied. “Did you have any ideas?”

“Honestly?” Reyes asked. He opened his hands again in a welcoming sort of action. “I hadn’t the faintest. I was hoping your people might.”

“Oh! I know!” Gil replied, feeling satisfied with a stroke of genius. “We could figure out a way for the acronym to be F-U-C.”

“Fuck?” Jill asked, her brow raised as she shifted to keep Meri comfortable. “You want to name a program with a good chance of increasing our numbers Fuck?”

Reyes chuckled despite himself. “Well, it’s certainly memorable.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The feeling that Gil is experiencing while the three of them are on the ship, compersion, is a pretty common concept in the poly community. It's often called the opposite of jealousy. It's when you feel happy or pleased at seeing your partner interact with their partner. Someone I know who is in the community calls it "warm fuzzles" because it's this warm, pleased feeling that lets you experience joy over the fact that someone you love is happy.
> 
> Compersion is actually a pretty important theme of this fic, so I thought I'd name it properly. 
> 
> Thanks for all of the great feedback guys! It's awesome to see people enjoying this idea!


	6. Chapter 6

“Fornication Uh…. Something Committee?” Kahil offered, making a slight face at how terrible of a suggestion that was.

“I know, it’s the U that sticks you. The only word I can think of that fits is Unification, but then we need a good F word,” Gil replied. He was sitting back with Meri in his arms. He patted her back lightly, comforting her and keeping her peaceful. 

It had been two days since their meeting with Keema and preparations were underway to set up an event that would allow people to sign up for the CRC’s efforts. The only hang up was thinking of a name for the program

Somewhere down the line, Mai and Kahil had heard about Gil’s joke about naming it FUC and now they were trying to think of ways to make the name fit. There had been a day and a half of people throwing around as many ideas as they could.

Jill was quiet as she worked at her desk. The CRC office was a decently sized room room with equipment around one wall. There was also a section in the corner that could be partitioned off to allow for examinations. Jill had started off by making jokes at the idea of FUC but had steadily gotten quieter throughout. Scott had noticed she had made some attempts to get people to focus on an actual name, but the FUC joke had been so amusing to them that they had started to put all of their attention on it. 

Crux was reviewing a list of names of people who had been exiled after the Uprising. She wasn’t confirming any who were still at the Port, not without their permission, but she was marking names of people who had died after being kicked out of the Nexus. “You’re assuming we have to end in ‘Committee,’ hm? Why not just make the whole thing one big sex joke?”

“Isn’t that what they’re trying to do?” Reyes offered. 

It was interesting to see the way that Crux pretended she didn’t know Reyes very well. She treated him with the sort of friendly detachment that she might if he really were just a low level operative who had helped the Pathfinder during his first visit to Kadara. She just sort of gave him a polite smile now. “I suppose so,” she offered. 

 

Later, they were back in the Port to speak with Keema and offer her details of what they wanted to do. They hoped that they could get Nexus volunteers to arrive at the Port and take down names of those willing to sign up to donate. They wanted to have an office they could use to set up appointments for exiles to give their samples or to have their blockers removed. First, though, they needed to also put together some kind of mixer event to ease the tensions people might have over the idea of giving the Nexus their DNA. 

Things went smoothly for the meeting. Keema liked the idea of the mixer the most. It was an excuse to plan a party. 

Even here in her throne room, people around them were on figuring out how to fit an acronym into FUC. 

“Are you considering angaran words?” one of the guards at Keema’s side suggested. “Some of them might be able to fit and would be quiet funny. We have a pun that would give people the impression that you’ll make them very fertile.”

By the end of the day, Jill’s entire body was tense and her jaw was grinding so hard that Scott could almost hear it. 

 

Finally, they were home, and Gil planned to figure out what was going on with her. “Planning to see what you look like with just gums?” 

“Excuse me?” she asked, voice still tense. 

“I just mean with the jaw grinding. Soon enough you’ll grind down your teeth so much you’ll be only gums.” 

Jill sighed then and waved that off. “It’s nothing Gil. I’m just...” Before she could finish she made a little frustrated sound and went to the kitchen to get something together for dinner.

Scott came closer and reached out to take Meri to let Gil go to Jill. He gave Scott an appreciative smile and then moved to the kitchen to help her with the food.

“Come on Jilly-Bean, you know you gotta talk or I’m just going to keep pestering you all night. Even when you try to sleep, I’ll just sneak up on your room and ask you questions about your well being.”

Jill rolled her eyes, both at the old, childish nickname and at the way that Gil was prying information out of her. Finally, she relented. “Okay. Fine. It’s… this whole ‘FUC’ nonsense. I get it. I get that we make sex jokes and making baby jokes all of the time. It’s a reality of my work, Gil. You know I can make those jokes such as much as anyone else.”

He nodded. “Yes, even at my expense,” he teased. Scott remembered the first time Gil had told him about those jokes, how he had assumed that Jill had meant them maliciously, but after living with them he knew that the two of them communicated in ways no one else could fully understand. 

Jill nudged Gil lightly with her arm. “ _Especially_ at your expense.” 

Teasing him about making her job harder had never been something that Gil took personally, because it wasn’t meant as anything other than a way to ease an underlining tension she felt about the nature of her work.

Gil looked pleased, both at the joke and at how she was starting to open up. “I am here to serve.”

Jill huffed in a half-amused way and continued, “This last day and a half people have been turning all of my work into one huge extremely explicit sex pun. That’s different than light jabs or funny riffs. My work might center around procreation and encouraging people to have effective sex, but that’s a far cry from everyone saying it’s about fucking and trying to turn it into something dirty.” 

Scott started to realize what the problem was after it dawned on Gil. One of the things that he had come to appreciate about Gil and Jill’s relationship was that while they did rag on each other, they each had a line, and when that line was approached they had a way of discussing that line and acknowledging that it needed to be upheld. Gil evoked one of them now.

“All right, I get it,” Gil said. He reached out and rubbed her back lightly. “I’ll give you your ace space.”

She bowed her head and let him give her a massage for a moment longer. “I’m going to need a very large ace space after today.”

“Ace attic then? We’ll put an ace addition in our house. It will be a huge ace space just for your ace face.”

She chuckled then and then groaned as he hit a tension spot in her shoulders. “Thank you, Gil,” she muttered. Then, to reinforce they were in this together. “You remember if I ever...”

“Oh yeah, you ever push my buttons, then I’ll be getting my gay way for at least a week.”

 

The next day, Gil was able to distract attention from the FUC joke by insisting that it was time to ‘get serious’ about the name. They needed one before the mixer and despite how hilarious everyone found it, they all knew that FUC would never be a real name they’d be able to use.

Reyes picked up on this, somehow, and took it a step further. He started a contest within the Collective. Whoever could think of an approved name would win a bottle from The Charlatan’s private reserve.

The next time they were alone, Scott asked him about it. They were filtering through the submissions for the name, deleting the ones that were inappropriate and pushing the ones that were good onto Jill.

“How did you know that we wanted to move from the silly ‘fuck’ pun?”

“It was pretty obvious wasn’t it? Jill tensed up whenever anyone brought it up, and then finally Gil told us all to stop and she was visibly more comfortable. She probably didn’t like watching her life’s work turned into one naughty joke did she?”

“No, she didn’t,” he said. “She and Gil usually riff on one another all of the time, but it was crossing some of her boundaries.”

“Well, everyone has to have them.” Then, after a moment, “I’d hate to see what Gil’s are.”

Scott chuckled a bit and shifted a little closer to Reyes. He rested a hand on Reyes’s leg. “You haven’t seen him when you insult his ship.”

 

Eventually the group was able to narrow the choices to ten different names. They let Jill pick the winner. It turned out to be an asari who had submitted the name Milky Way Species Survival Effort, or the MWSS for short. Jill liked that one because it held to the spirit of the CRC but reminded everyone that what they were doing would help ensure the continuation of the Milky Way species in Andromeda. Survival would only happen if they all worked together.

“I should have thought this through,” Reyes lamented as he handed over a bottle of whiskey for Jill to give the winner. 

 

Scott was so distracted by helping Jill and the CRC plan to begin this program that he had almost forgotten entirely about the investigation into Outcast activity. 

“Scott?” SAM’s voice filtered into his head. “The Collective have finished their scouting trips of the wild half of the planet, would you like to know their findings?” 

Scott had been in the middle of formatting some datapad information for mass distribution and stopped. “Yeah, that’d be great.” 

“I’m sorry?” Mai asked as Scott spoke to himself. 

“Don’t worry. He’s talking to SAM. You get used to him responding to nothing after a while, trust me,” Gil explained. He could usually tell when it was SAM because Scott tended to speak a little lower and tilt his head to the side. 

“I’m sending the encrypted information to your omni tool now. I suggest reviewing the details away from prying eyes.,” SAM explained. “To summarize, the trips were able to find several Remnant structures that could also be used to store the amount of weaponry that appeared to have been smuggled.”

“Say, do any of you think you can give me a ride somewhere real quick? I have something to look into,” Scott asked, looking around the room.

“I think Reyes might have a transport,” pointed out Crux, once again using that detached kindness that made it feel like she didn’t really know him. It was pretty clear to Scott, though, that she assumed the thing he had to look into was something Reyes would want to hear about. He'd have to remember to thank her whenever they were alone next. 

“I do,” Reyes agreed. He stood and lead Scott from the room. 

“Your people have returned from the other half of the planet and submitted their scouting reports,” Scott supplied once they were out of earshot. “SAM is processing it right now.”

Reyes’s face grew a bit more serious. “Let’s see what they found.”

 

Back at Tartarus, Scott and Reyes found the familiar faces of Petre and Jani. Jani smiled at them both and Petre tilted his head a bit by way of greeting. 

“How was your trip?” Scott asked. He wasn’t sure if either of these people actually knew who’ Reyes was, so he took charge for now. 

“Fascinating in the sense that we could see the changes the vault had spread across the planet, but we weren’t able to find much outside of that," Jani offered. She glanced at Reyes who took to leaning against a wall and simply watching with with mild curiosity. 

“SAM mentioned some Remnant structures?” 

“Yes there were several that might be used by the Outcasts but investigating would require an expedition on foot.”

“That doesn’t sound particularly safe.”

“That would be because it’s not, Pathfinder. That side of the planet is still largely unexplored and untamed.” Jani seemed to take this very seriously. She frowned and looked down. "Even my people avoid venturing too far into it."

That news only seemed to drive home that Gil had a good point – it was the perfect place to be if you didn’t want to be found. It was probably lucky for their side that his job revolved around uncovering things that others might not want him to find.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this part is so short! The very next scene (which I already have mostly written) is Gil and Scott having sex and it seemed a little rude to have a sex scene and exploring the fact Jill is asexual in the same chapter. Hopefully I will be finished with the next part soon!
> 
> Also, shout out to my ace friends who helped me refine how I was going to "out" Jill in this part. The idea that she was ace was one of the first ones I had when I started writing this fic and you guys helped me figure out how to show that. Thanks!


	7. Chapter 7

Two days before the MWSS mixer, Jill was late getting home. Gil and Scott weren’t too concerned. Things at CRC headquarters were extremely busy these days. When she finally came through the door, Gil and Scott were watching some vids. Meri was resting comfortably in her play wheel and Gil was spread across Scott’s body as they cuddled on the couch. Scott had been taking long trips into the wild side of the planet lately which meant that the pair rarely had a quiet moment like this alone. Once Scott had said he was home for the night, Gil had wanted to do something normal. 

“Hey you two,” Jill said as she came in. 

Gil pulled himself up and considered her. “Hard day at the office?”

“Productive day,” she replied, smiling. “We had a backlog of appointments for colonists that had been put on the back burner for the exile project. I went through a few of them today. One couple is considering having a child, but they want to see how it is first.” She paused as she went to the kitchen to get a snack. “I was thinking I might take Meri over there tonight if you guys don’t mind?”

Gil blinked and then glanced at Scott before looking back up at her. “Are you for real?” he asked as she shoved some rations into her mouth. “Are you seriously asking me if I want to have time home alone with my incredibly hot partner?” 

Scott chuckled. “That’s my line,” he said. 

“I was a little worried about Scott, though. He’s been gone so often lately he hasn’t had time with Meri. Are you sure it’s all right?” Jill looked at him with real concern.

“I think if I said anything other than ‘sure, go ahead and give us a night alone’ Gil might give me the silent treatment for days,” Scott joked lightly. He had been enjoying spending time with Meri, but there were so rarely chances for him and Gil to be alone. “Besides, he’s the incredibly hot one and I wouldn’t mind being alone with him either.”

Jill snickered at them. “Let me get a bag together for the night and then you two can argue over who is the incredibly hot one.”

Gil all but hopped off the couch. “I’ll get Meri’s stuff together for you.” He then rushed for comedic effect and both Jill and Scott found themselves laughing over it. 

Scott got up to get some of Meri’s clothes together while Gil packed up diapers and other supplies. By the time that Jill had an overnight bag packed for herself, Meri was all ready to go. 

“Now don’t have a too crazy party, Meri still needs to try to get a full night’s sleep,” Gil teased Jill as she picked up the bags. 

“If she doesn’t, I might have one less couple interested in repopulation than I’d like,” she replied. “It’s a good thing she’s such an easy baby. She makes everyone think parenthood is a breeze.”

“Uh-huh, well have them get back to me when they find her spit up in their hair.”

Jill chuckled a bit and kissed Gil gently on the side of his face, hugged Scott, and then gathered up Meri’s carrier so she could head out to spend the night at some else’s home. 

Once the door was closed the house seemed to be very still and quiet. For a moment, Gil and Scott just looked at each other. 

“Clothes. Off. Now.” Gil said, finally breaking the silence. 

“Are you sure you didn’t want to finish watching the vid first?” Scott teased, but he was already starting to remove his top layer. 

“Only if you don’t mind me distracting you throughout the whole thing.” 

“I think I’d rather give you my full attention.” 

“Good, because I want that too.”

As they spoke they were heading into the bedroom. Clothes were shed along the way. 

“I want to take my time and really enjoy you,” Gil muttered as he came closer to kiss Scott. There was a hunger in the kiss that made Scott’s entire body light up.

Scott hummed happily at the idea of being enjoyed and put his arms around Gil. Sex between the two of them had turned into rushed, muffled moments in the shower or during the nights when Meri slept in Jill’s room. Neither of them complained over the reality of being fathers, but finally having a moment where they could take their time and explore one another again seemed like a blessing. 

Gil guided Scott to the bed and encouraged him to lie back. Once he was comfortable, Gil settled over him and began kissing him again. This time, his mouth didn’t linger on Scott’s lips but moved to his jaw, neck, and lower. 

He was true to his words and took his time, exploring and tasting every inch of Scott’s chest. He treated Scott as if he still couldn’t believe he had ended up with someone so precious and important. Scott let his hands move over Gil’s back and arms. He wanted to touch and explore just as much as Gil. 

Gil knew exactly what to exploit to coax moans of pleasure from Scott and he put that knowledge to use now. His hands trailed over Scott’s chest as he took time to suck at one of his nipples. He used his teeth just enough to elicit a groan and make Scott’s back arch up. Gil chuckled, pleased at the reaction, and moved to do the same to the other. 

Scott moved his hand to the side of Gil’s face and guided him back up so that he could kiss him again. Gil let their bodies rub up against each other as he leaned into the kiss. 

“You’re distracting me from exploring,” Gil breathed against Scott’s lips once they pulled back from the kiss. 

Scott reached up and trailed the back of his fingers through Gil’s hair. “I’m the explorer here. You don’t get to have my job.”

Gil chuckled softly and kissed Scott lightly once more before purposely moving his hips to push another gasp out of Scott. “I don’t have to find any paths here, I already know the best ones.” As if to prove it he slid his hands between them to stroke purposely. That single movement made Scott almost see stars. 

“Fuck,” Scott muttered. “Fuck I need to be inside of you, Gil.” 

Gil hummed in agreement but then tilted his head to kiss along Scott’s jaw again. “Patience is a virtue.”

Scott whined a bit but tilted his head and let Gil have his way. Gil drew out the process of moving back down Scott’s body until Scott felt as if he might be drowning in pleasure. He forced himself to accept Gil’s pace, and once he reached that mindset could could allow himself to enjoy Gil’s hands and mouth all over his body. 

Then Gil’s mouth was closed over his erection and everything else in the world seemed to fall away. He gripped hard at the covers of their bed. Gil’s talented mouth was warm and wet and made pleasure spread throughout Scott’s body. 

Scott let himself enjoy Gil moving his head and taking him until he thought he could hardly stand any more. “Mm, Gil, pull up. Move around. Let me...”

Gil lifted his head and grinned a bit before they both had to rearrange their bodies. Along the way, Gil retrieved some lube from their nightstand and handed it to Scott. When they both had easy access to the other’s body. Scott could use his hand to prepare Gil while his mouth was preoccupied. As he worked, Gil kept teasing him until both of them were hot and ready. 

Scott drew out the process a little longer, ensuring that Gil was really prepared, and then pulled back so they could move again. This time, he sat up and leaned his back against the headboard while Gil climbed on top of his lap. 

From this angle Gil had control, which he liked. Gil took him in and Scott doubted that any two people had ever been this close or connected. Gil let himself just enjoy the sensation of being filled before he began to rock his body. Scott’s hand reached between then to stroke Gil as they both moved together. 

They stayed like this, Gil rolling his hips into Scott, Scott pushing up into Gil, until both of them were chasing their climaxes. Scott leaned forward and clamped his mouth against Gil’s neck, biting and sucking hard, until Gil finally reached his peak. When Gil’s body tightened around Scott, it pushed him over the edge. 

Then they were holding onto each other and breathing with each other as the wake of their orgasms faded. Scott trailed his hands over Gil’s back and enjoyed having him there. 

Finally, Gil pulled off of Scott and after a light kiss, he rolled over to lie on the bed. Scott settled next to him and put an arm around him. They kissed once more and settled into the bed. 

“Don’t think I’m done with you yet,” Gil said. He sounded satisfied for now, but as mischievous as ever. 

“I’d be disappointed if you were. We do have the whole night together.” 

 

They ended up sleeping in until very late in the morning the next day. After they woke, they showered together. Neither them had bothered fully redressing and had spent the rest of the morning bare chested and happily touching each other’s bodies lazily. 

There was a ping at their door, letting them know that someone had arrived. “Expecting company?” Gil asked as he moved to the door. 

Scott just gave him a confused look. 

When Gil opened it they were both surprised to find Reyes there. 

Reyes opened his mouth as if to say something but instead let himself take in the sight of Gil half naked. His brow lifted in an amused sort of way. “Good morning,” he said. 

“Isn’t it afternoon?” Gil asked. He seemed to enjoy having Reyes check him out and posed just a bit by putting his hands on his hips. 

“It is, but you two seem to have just gotten up,” not that Reyes seemed to be judging them. If anything, he looked amused. 

Gil stepped back and let Reyes into their house. 

“Jill took Meri for an overnight stay at a potential couple’s house. We, uh, made good use of our time alone,” Scott explained as Reyes entered.

Reyes chuckled softly. “I’d hope so.” 

“We’ll go put some clothes on, all right? Then we can figure out why you’re here.”

Reyes accepted that. While the pair of them disappeared into their room he took to looking around the house at all of the signs of domesticity. Baby toys, family holopics, even the choice of pillows on the couch all seemed to hint to a loving home. 

When Gil and Scott returned Gil gestured to the couch. “Feel free to sit down, make yourself comfortable.”

“I came here to speak to you both, about a personal matter,” Reyes stated as he let himself settle into the couch. Scott could see tension in his shoulders, but to someone like Gil, who hadn’t spent a lot of time studying him or watching him truly unwind, he probably looked very comfortable.

Scott frowned and then sat down next to him. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

Reyes seemed uncertain, which, despite his concern, Scott found incredibly endearing. To reassure him, he reached out and put a hand on Reyes’s leg.

“I have my people send me reports of rumors or anything of interest, really. I filter through them personally, to make sure that I have an understanding of the interconnected politics of the Port. Knowing that this trader hates that cargo pilot can always be used to an advantage,” he paused, making sure that both of them understood.

Gil chuckled and settled on the couch on Scott’s other side. On reflex, Scott reached out and took Gil’s hand and for a moment let himself marvel at how it felt to touch both of them at the same time. Then he reminded himself he needed to focus.

“Makes sense.” Gil offered. “You could make things easier or much harder on either of them. Having to work with Kallo, I know how much being around someone who annoys you can ruin your whole day,” Gil said, after shooting Scott a grin that seemed to say he knew what Scott was thinking about as he touched both of them and that he had used that distraction to take a shot at Kallo without getting lightly chided about it.

“So a bad rumor came your way? Is it about the Outcasts?” Scott asked. Instead of being annoyed at Gil bringing up Kallo that way, he focused on Reyes. He had to ask about the Outcasts first because his investigation had been next to useless. Coming up with nothing had been frustrating, and he was hoping for something that would give him more to do to prevent any resurgence of their power.

“No. It was about me,” Reyes admitted after a moment.

“That’s pretty normal isn’t it?” Gil asked. “You got to assume that rumors about The Charlatan help keep the mystery alive.”

“No, not about The Charlatan, about _me_ , Reyes Vidal. The smuggler, Resistance operative who helped the Pathfinder, and recent recruit to the Collective’s cause.”

“I take it you usually don’t see your own name on the rumor mill?” Ryder asked.

“I make it a point to be as nondescript as possible, Scott,” Reyes pointed out.

Scott raised his brow a bit. “Uh-huh. Never mind that you get invited to all the best parties.”

Reyes opened his arm, but this gesture was one meant to deflect. “I can’t help it if I happen to be very charming and good looking.”

“Your relationship with the Pathfinder can’t hurt,” Gil pointed out.

“It’s that relationship that I need to talk to you about,” Reyes said. “Before, I was that person who helped ease Scott into the culture when he first arrived at Kadara, the one who helped him understand how things worked here. I was a blip on the story of how the Pathfinder and The Charlatan freed Kadara Port. Now, though...” He paused, wondering how to word this. “You spend a noticeable amount of time with me and when you leave you’re visibly...” He trailed off, looking for the right word.

“Tousled?” Gil offered helpfully, he seemed more amused than anything.

“Yes. Tousled.” 

“And sore, possibly limping, maybe with a few bruises around his neck...”

“I think we get it, Gil,” Scott commented. He knew that Gil was using humor to try to put everyone at ease. They were still trying to figure out how open they could be about what Scott did with both of them, and Gil was throwing open the door to give the all clear to speak about anything. However, what Reyes needed right now was to say what he came here to say. Gil seemed to get that, and settled down again.

“Either way, he’s right. People have noticed. The rumor is that I’m tempting the Pathfinder away from his happy family. Some are beginning to question your judgment, and others may try to use the fact that you’re going around on your husband against you.”

“Scott and I aren’t married,” Gil pointed out, but his face had fallen. He seemed to be giving the subject the weight it deserved.

“Semantics. The cluster sees the two of you that way, even without a ceremony.”

“So you think someone might try to blackmail me?” Scott asked.

“I do,” Reyes replied, and then seemed to be bracing to say something that would hurt. “I think it might be best if--”

“The mixer!” Gil offered, cutting Reyes off and taking all of the wind out of whatever declaration he was about to make.

Scott realized that was exactly what he meant to do. He wasn’t about to let Reyes offer up his relationship as a sacrificial lamb to maintain the status quo.

“I’m sorry?” Reyes asked, confused. He seemed to be finding himself off kilter a lot around Gil. Scott wondered how that felt to a man who prided himself on being in the know and in control.

“The mixer that the MWSS is holding. We’ll all three go together, out in the open. We’ll make it clear where the three of us stand.”

“And where do you and I stand, Gil?”

“Right now? I’d say we’re in the casually flirting while sharing the love of our lives phase.”

Scott had to stop his mind from going wildly imaginative places with that question and instead focused on the more emotional, immediate concerns. “You want me to take both of you, as my dates?”

“Yeah,” Gil responded with a nod. “I’ll check with Jill just to make sure she’s all right with it.” Scott could understand that. She might not appreciate them turning something in her outreach project into making a statement about their relationship status. “But this mixer has turned way more into Keema’s excuse to throw a huge party than anything clinical. Jill probably won’t even want to go. She’ll say it’s to stay home with Meri, but honestly she’s just not a ‘big party’ kind of person. Too high strung to relax that much.”

“She hasn’t attended a party in Kadara Port yet,” Reyes pointed out, chuckling softly. He was noticeably relaxing the tension in his body, which was reassuring. Gil had successfully gotten any thoughts of cooling things down to avoid making a scene out of his head.

While he was reassured by that, Scott couldn’t let that statement go so easily. He raised his brow. “Oh, you mean the parties where the guy who takes you ditches you to go get some whiskey.”

“Not just ‘some whiskey,’ Ryder, _Mount Milgrom _.”__

__Scott shrugged. “Eh, it was all right,” he stated in as nonchalant a tone as he could muster while remembering what it had been like to share that whiskey with Reyes._ _

__Reyes put a hand on his chest, “Oh, that hurts me, Scott. I’m hurt.”_ _

__“Not as hurt as he was to get ditched,” Gil responded, and the way he said it made all three of them laugh a bit._ _

__Before either Scott or Reyes could think of a smart remark to make to that the front door opened again. This time it was Jill with Meri in her carrier. She stopped when she saw all three of them and then smiled._ _

__“And here you told me not to have a wild party,” she teased in a deadpan voice._ _

__Gil got up to help her carry things in. “Oh yeah, you really missed it. We even had streamers.”_ _

__Jill thanked Gil for taking her bags off her hands and then came more into the room. “Hey Reyes,” she said. “I’m glad you showed up while the house was clean.”_ _

__“You do remember I live in Tartarus, yes?” Reyes suggested. He stood to greet her but she seemed to think he was offering to help too so she handed over Meri’s carrier._ _

__He seemed surprised at that, but not opposed. “How do I?” he asked Scott, at a loss._ _

__Scott chuckled softly and came forward to help him unfasten Meri. Then he picked her up and held her carefully. “Whoa, I think someone made a mess of her diaper while Mommy was walking home...”_ _

__“Not it!” called both Gil and Jill at the same time._ _

__Scott rolled his eyes but left to go take care of it at the changing station. “One day I’m going to remember that you two operate on the same brain wave and call out before you can even think it.”_ _

__From the changing area he could hear Jill talking to Reyes._ _

__“Have you eaten at all? I’m starving. What do you want for lunch?”_ _

__“I... I’m sure I’ll be happy with whatever you have.”_ _

__“All right, but that means you have to be my assistant, come over here and wash your hands.”_ _

__When Scott came back with Meri it was to Gil unpacking Meri’s things and Reyes and Jill in the kitchen as she gently guided him through helping her._ _

__He felt dazed, as if he wasn’t certain all of this was real. It seemed too good to be so. But then Meri fussed a bit and brought him back to reality. She was probably just as hungry as everyone else was. “Don’t worry sweetie,” he told her. “I got you.”_ _

__

__Sooner or later, Scott knew, he’d learn that once things seemed to be calm and relaxed, that was the time to be worried._ _

__It was after lunch was made and the four of them had settled into eating together than SAM’s voice filled their home._ _

__“Pathfinder, an emergency encrypted signal is being sent to Mr. Vidal. It’s from the Collective Base.”_ _

__Reyes’s eyes narrowed but didn’t seem to think he needed to hide anything from the people in this room. “Patch it thorough,” he said. He lifted his arm to give his access code using his omni tool._ _

__“Repeat,” came the voice on the end. It belonged to a salarain but Scott couldn’t exactly place it. He hadn’t met all of the Representatives after all. “Home base has been compromised. Priority Package K has been misplaced. Repeat.”_ _

__Something cold and dangerous overcame Reyes’s face._ _

__“Priority Package K?” Scott asked._ _

__“Kaetus,” Reyes responded with a grim voice. “He’s escaped.”_ _

__

__Scott and Reyes left together and arrived near the caves together, but as Scott exited his vehicle Reyes pulled away. “I’ll meet you after,” he promised. Scott didn’t bother to ask where he was going; it would be too suspicious for Reyes to arrive with Scott and he probably had a vantage point where he could observe things without being seen._ _

__Scott rushed through the caves. When he found the door to the Collective Base he could tell that it had been blasted open. “Someone really wanted to get in,” he said, and it fueled his concern._ _

__Inside of the base was chaos. Most of the infrastructure inside showed signs of a struggle. Some of the supplies they had been keeping here were little more than a smoldering crater now. Collective members were around, scattered and tending to their dead and wounded. The entire place smelled even worse than normal._ _

__Some armed guards pointed their weapons at him at first, but once they saw who he was they calmed down._ _

__“Sorry Pathfinder. The boss sent us a message that you were coming but we’re not certain if they’re planning on coming back.”_ _

__Scott waved off their concern. “No harm, no foul.”_ _

__He moved more into the base to find Crux. She had arrived just before Scott, having been at the Port working with Kahil all morning. She waved him over when she saw him and seemed just as deadly serious as Reyes as been._ _

__“We need to move out of this place. It’s been compromised. I’m trying to get out people and any remaining information and supplies out.”_ _

__Scott nodded. “I’ll do what I can to help, but for now SAM and I are going to try to figure out where they’re taking Kaetus. Can you tell me what happened?”_ _

__“According to what I’ve been told, the Outcasts struck during a shift change.” She made a soft, bitter sound at that. Such a standard weakness that was usually highly protected and yet it had been pried open._ _

__That idea made Scott feel cold. “How many people have access to that kind of information?”_ _

__“Not many. I’m sure The Charlatan will be looking into it right away. This was a betrayal of someone we thought we could trust.”_ _

__Scott wanted to provide her some sympathy but he was distracted by the task at hand, plus she wasn’t really the type to need a shoulder to cry on. She cared much more about action and results. “SAM and I will scan around and see what we can find.”_ _

__SAM was able to trace the battle. Together with Scott, he outlined how the Outcasts had effectively attacked and fought their way to the cells. Then, once there, they had set free all of the prisoners. Some of the prisoners had lost their minds and attacked the Collective, causing more chaos as the Outcasts grabbed Kaetus and forced their way outside._ _

__Kaetus hadn’t even been in one of the regular cells. His cell was almost like a room. Reyes had probably been trying to soften his experience a bit to coax more information from him. It had been a year, and Kaetus hadn’t been executed yet. He was either offering information or promising too. Scott would have to ask Reyes about it later._ _

__For now, though, it was important to note because it showed that the Outcasts hadn’t needed to release the other prisoners to get Kaetus. They had probably done that out of spite._ _

__Once Scott was back outside he was able to follow their tracks to a spot that had obviously had a shuttle. It had taken off and left signs all over the area that they were going into orbit._ _

__“Scott, this radiation trail has the same signature as the trail that we found while investigating the smuggled weapons.”_ _

__“So the weapons do belong to the Outcasts.”_ _

__“It appears so.”_ _

__“And now they have a leader to get behind.”_ _

__“That is the most likely reason they have freed Kaetus.”_ _

__“Shit.”_ _


	8. Chapter 8

There was no way to trace where the shuttle holding Kaetus had gone once it left orbit. If they had had the Tempest, with its complex and advanced scanning equipment, they might have had a better chance, but with only the cargo ships of Kadara Port and transport shuttles of the colony readily available there was little they could do.

Gil started building some kind of scanner into the ship that Reyes had him working on and they sent a request that Pathfinder Rix bring the Tempest back to Kadara, but both of those things would take a few days at least. Rix was at the far corners of the charted areas of the cluster and Gil, though brilliant, could only work so fast.

In the meantime, Reyes, unsure who he could trust now that his base had been so blatantly attacked, asked Scott to talk to every member of the Collective that he assigned to colony security. SAM was the best way to tell who was lying or not, after all. With this duty on top of his attempts to track down the Outcasts, Scott had almost completely forgotten about the mixer and Gil’s idea that he take both of them to it.

“You need to decide what you’re going to wear,” Gil pointed out as Scott finally got home after a day full of interviews.

“I’m sorry?” Scott asked as he finished stripping off his armor, a look of pure confusion crossing his face.

“To the party tonight. You know, the one where you have two hot dates?”

Scott blinked several times before groaning as he remembered what Gil was talking about. “I completely forgot.”

Gil made a soft noise of amusement. “I thought you had, that’s why I picked out something for you. Why don’t you take a shower and try to catch a nap before we have to head out?”

Scott gave Gil a grateful look before going to the bathroom. The shower helped relax him and the nap was a huge help. When he woke and dressed in the clothes that Gil picked out he felt refreshed and ready to enjoy the night. He still had an underlining anxiety about what the Outcasts were doing, but the mixer was something to be proud of and enjoyed. They were finally making good on the promise to reach out to the exiles and bring them back into the fold.

When he was ready to leave he came out into the main room of the house to find Jani there. He smiled at the angaran woman. “Did your boss send you here?” he asked.

She chuckled softly and bowed her head. “I received orders to help with security at your home. I guess The Charlatan found out Meri’s mother wasn’t coming to the party.”

“Well, you can tell The Charlatan that I don’t need a babysitter,” Jill replied. Her tone was very flat rather than irritated though. She raised a brow at Scott as if trying to figure out if this had been his idea.

He raised his hands, showing that it wasn’t, before focusing on Jani. “Don’t you want to go to the party?” he asked Jani.

“Oh, no. I don’t really like large crowds,” she admitted. “Unless they’re my family, of course.”

“That’s how I feel, except that my family’s never been large enough to make me test the boundaries of that,” Jill pointed out. Gil had been right that once it became clear what sort of event Keema was making this into, Jill no longer wanted to go. She trusted that both Kahil and Mai would handle the recruitment part of the event and planned a night at home instead.

“Well, hopefully once Meri has siblings you’ll be able to fill the house with family,” Jani suggested.

Scott knew that she meant that in a harmless way. He understood that angara expected families to have many mothers and even more children, but Jill still raised a brow at Scott over the suggestion as if he had been the one to put it in The Collective’s head.

“Oookay,” Gil cut in, before anyone in the room could focus on the idea of more children. “Listen, Jill... Given... well, _everything_ that’s been happening lately. I think it’d be best if we had someone here to keep an eye on things. Someone armed.” 

Jill rounded on Gil as if to say something but the sight of his face cut her short. He was the master of sad puppy eyes that worked on her and put that talent to use now. Finally she nodded.

“All right,” then, after a moment, she added, “It’s not anything personal, Jani. I just don’t like being treated like I can’t take care of my own daughter.”

“It isn’t meant that way,” Jani explained and there was something in her tone that showed she sincerely did not mean to offend Jill. “I’m here to help you do that, not take over the role.”

Jill appeared a little soothed and then sighed, accepting the situation. “Well, if you’re staying you’re going to help with dinner too.”

Jani’s eyes lit up in a way that showed she didn’t mind that idea at all. He wondered how much of her family was still on Kadara and if she got chances to help with things like meals often as a member of the Collective.

Scott had to admit he felt better with Jani - and Jani’s pistol - there. She had interacted well with Meri before, and he assumed that Reyes had picked her out for this role because she had that past history with him and his daughter. She also had a way of providing a comforting presence, which Jill was already responding to.

“If you need to reach us for any reason, SAM’s server is in this house. He’ll get a message to me, won’t you SAM?”

“Of course, Pathfinder,” the AI’s voice filled the room. “I hope you, Gil, and Mr. Vidal enjoy your evening.”

“I think we’re at the point where you can call him Reyes, SAM.”

 

Gil and Scott stopped by Tartarus to pick up Reyes, who started the night by confirming that Jani was at their house and trying to talk about the guard rotation he has set up for the party to ensure the Outcasts didn’t attack during it.

“Shush, both of you.” Gil cut in. “I bet you’ve done everything you can to make sure the night goes well, now stop with the shop talk,” He wrapped his arm around Scott’s and then gestured for Reyes to take the other one. “Remember the plan is to show that all three of us are super relaxed and comfortable with our arrangement, that won’t work if you both are stressed out and tense.”

Reyes smiled at that despite himself and took Scott’s hand. “That’s a good point,” he said as he squeezed Scott lightly. “Let’s make tonight a memorable one, shall we?”

 

Keema really had outdone herself. She hadn’t just focused the party in her throne room, but had done out the entire central hub in decorations. It reminded Scott of the way that towns back on Earth looked during winter holidays - just without the Christmas trees. The thought left him both nostalgic and gave him that pang of fear that came over him every time he thought of the Milky Way.

Keema came up to greet them when they entered the throne room and gave Reyes a knowing little smile before pulling away from them to introduce Kahil and Mai to the attendees. They had gotten a rather large group and the room was filled with humans, turians, asari, and even a few salarians. Keema had her people there as well, but most seemed to be helping her with the arrangements or to show the Milky Way species how to have a good time. There were krogan by the doors as security, and Scott made a mental note to try to find a way to thank them. It couldn’t be easy to watch the other Milky Way species celebrate fertility. Other members of the CRC were there too, employees who had filtered to Kadara over the past few days. Keema made sure everyone attending the event knew this group could be approached for information or to set up appointments to remove the hormone blockers and then focused on starting the party.

“We must remember the reason for this celebration,” she stated, her voice somehow filling the crowded room. Service workers, mostly angara that Keema had hired, moved through the crowd handing out drinks for a toast. “I’ve recently had the idea of a toast explained to me by a dear friend and I hope you will all join me in one now.”

Scott took a glass offered to him and smelled sweet fruit in the drink. He wondered who had thought to do a toast, but the proud expression on Reyes’s face as he watched Keema seemed to hint that it had been The Charlatan.

“We are here to ensure the survival of our friends from the Milky Way,” Keema continued. “I propose this toast to the future generations that are sure to come from this partnership. To your children!”

The crowd joined in the toast to future children and then drank. The alcohol was stronger than Scott would have thought and already he could feel himself relaxing. When the music started it wasn’t difficult at all to pull both Gil and Reyes over to the dance floor.

He knew people were watching them. He had that itch on the back of his neck that followed him when people were trying to watch him while also pretending that they weren’t. He couldn’t bring himself to really care though, not past the idea of putting on a good show for them.

When they got to the floor he was facing Reyes and had Gil against his back. The three of them moved together as the music took up the room. The sound of it was intoxicating, just as much as it was to feel what it felt like to be pressed against the two of them.

More drinks were passed around and Scott has a couple more. Before long he was feeling rather tipsy and extremely happy.

 

Eventually Scott found his way to the krogan guards at the door. He wanted to follow through on the thought they should be thanked. He was also just drunk enough to not reconsider if that was a good idea.

“Are you two with the Collective?” he asked.

The first one nodded and the second one offered, “The boss sent out a message for security for this event. We volunteered.”

Scott felt surprise filter onto his face. “Volunteered? To watch the rest of us talk about having children? I would have thought...”

“That we’d be pissed off at watching a bunch of turians talk about removing their voluntary sterilization while they had a hand forcing the genophage on our people?”

Scott nodded. He felt sympathy in his chest that he knew could be read as pity to some krogan, so he carefully masked it behind interest. “Exactly that.”

There was a moment where neither of the krogan spoke. The bass of the music pushed against Scott in the absence of their voices. Finally, the first one found his voice. “I have a sister who lives on New Tuchanka. She was one of the lucky ones who was able to create a viable clutch. Her eggs were close to hatching the first time you made it to Elaaden.”

Scott’s eyes widened as he realized what the krogan was getting at. “The seed ship.” Drack had asked him to help recover the nutrients newly hatched krogan needed to survive and they had recovered the seed ship together. He knew the krogan had needed those seeds, but it seemed so strange to have a krogan on Kadara bring it up a year later.

“That’s right. Now I have nieces and nephews to visit every time I go back there.” The krogan gestured to himself and his friend. “We’re here because _you’re_ here and the boss said you needed security. Consider it repayment.”

“Will do,” Scott replied. “But you two try to have a good time too.”

“Don’t worry Pathfinder, the second a drunken fight breaks out, we will.”

 

Gil had brought cards, because of course he had, and he managed to rope Reyes into playing the first game. When Reyes had lost terribly - Gil was getting much better at reading him now - it prompted more people to play against Gil to see if they could win.

“Please don’t make sore losers out of these people, Gil,” Scott muttered against Gil’s ear as he leaned over the table to put some water down for him to help him clear his head - water that Umi had seemed rather confused to serve Scott as he seemed to be enjoying all of the free alcohol floating around.

Gil turned his head and kissed Scott lightly. “Pretty sure all of these guys have a boss who would be super pissed if they hurt me over a friendly game.” His voice was low, careful to just be heard by Scott.

“Hmm, that’s if their boss can get the word to them in time,” he pointed out.

“Well, don’t distract him too much when you take him back on the dance floor then.”

Scott chuckled softly and kissed Gil once more before pulling up to do just that. He grabbed Reyes by the hand and pulled the smuggler back to the floor.

“Have fun you too!” Gil called out loudly as they left.

“We always do, dear,” Reyes called back playfully.

Scott was laughing as he turned to face Reyes. “You’re very good at encouraging him,” he pointed out.

“Some men will do what they do with or without encouragement,” Reyes replied. He put his arm around Scott and pushed their bodies together.

“Hm, but for now let’s make sure none of your men shoot him because they can’t handle losing at cards.”

“You say as if I haven’t already put a warning against hurting anyone in your family.”

“Funny how that includes you now.”

Reyes’s smile turned from mischievous to warm and touched. “Yes. Funny.”

 

Back at the colony, Jill was finding it extremely hard to be annoyed by Jani’s presence. She seemed genuinely delighted to help around the house and took pleasure in playing with and engaging Meri. Jill watched her with some amusement.

“Do you have any children, Jani?” she asked once the pair of them had gotten Meri down for bed.

“Oh no, I’m afraid not. I hope too soon, though, once things settle down here.”

“Haven’t they been settled down for the past year?”

Jani seemed to consider that and then laughed a bit. “I suppose they have, haven’t they! Thanks to the Pathfinder and the Resistance, we’ve seen very little kett activity, and the Collective has a pretty good hold on the Port. I should probably start to consider settling down or joining other mothers.”

Jill realized that she had been so distracted by her work with the CRC she hadn’t spared much thought to the reproduction of the angara. She thought maybe now would be a good chance to learn a bit more. She tried to think of a polite way to ask questions when her omni tool lit up and let her know she had a priority communication. It was coming from the CRC office in the colony so she sat up straighter to take it.

“This is Jill.”

“Jill!” The slightly panicked voice on the other end belonged to Felicity, an assistant medic who worked with the CRC. “The Johnsons. They’re having some complications. We need you to come to the office right away.”

The Johnsons were a couple that Jill had recently implanted. The procedure had just recently taken, and Mrs. Johnson should be in the all clear. Still, things could always take a turn for the worse. “I’ll be right there,” she replied and stood to grab a coat.

She paused, and considered Jani. Meri was already asleep so she didn’t want to wake her, but she also couldn’t expect Jani to take that responsibility. 

“I’ll stay here with Meri,” Jani offered on her own, showing real concern in her face for the Johnsons, even without having ever met them.

“Thank you,” Jill replied. She felt secure in having Jani watch her daughter after seeing how the woman had responded to the baby all night. Hopefully it would be a false alarm, but if it wasn’t she could have SAM call Meri’s dads back home at any time.

The night was already very dark. As she headed to the office she tried to run over any of the most common complications that might arise during this stage. Once she entered, though, she realized something else was going on entirely.

The room was pitch black and when she turned on the light, Felicity was the only one in the office. Instead of standing next to a worrying couple, the young woman was tied to a chair with tape over her mouth. Jill rushed forward to free her.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry.” Felicity sobbed as she was untied. “They had guns. They wanted me to get you out of your house. I think they were after--”

Jill’s entire body felt as if she had been dropped into ice water. “Meri.”

 

Scott was dancing with Reyes and laughing when SAM’s voice filled his head. “Scott, return home imm--” Then his voice was cut off and a loud, screeching sound took its place. Scott’s hands clamped over his ears but it didn’t block out the noise. He cried out in pain and doubled over. His head felt like it was splitting open.

The noise slowly subsided and Scott realized he was on the floor. Gil and Reyes were hovering over him, paired worried expressions on their faces.

“We need to get home, _now_ ,” Scott said as he forced himself to stand. He could feel Gil there, steadying him.

“What happened?”

“Someone is fucking with SAM’s server.” The pain hadn’t been to the extent as when the Archon had cut him off from SAM completely, but he knew enough of how that felt to recognize it now. “SAM? What’s going on?” he asked, as Gil helped him rush out of the door. SAM was quiet for now.

Scott heard Reyes apologize quickly to Keema and then follow them out. “We’ll use one of my ships at the docks,” he said as he put in orders on his omni tool that would have guards at the docks start up a ship for them to use.

“SAM?” Scott asked, this time with more urgency. He could feel that SAM was still there, but silenced somehow. He felt panic rising in his throat and swallowed hard down around it. 

Reyes flew the ship to get them there quickly and landed as close to their home as he could. Gil and Scott rushed out and ran towards the house. The sight that greeted them wasn’t reassuring.

The door to the home had been blasted open. Colony security was there. A turian was standing outside and blocking Jill from entering. 

“I don’t fucking care what protocol says, let me into my damn house! My daughter is in there!” she yelled, utterly un-intimidated by the turian in front of her. 

Gil rushed up to her and put a hand on her arm while saying her name to let her know it was him. She still jerked and for a moment looked as if she might hit someone but at seeing that Gil and Scott were really there she seemed fractionally relieved. She was still panicked and furious but at least having her boys there meant things would change. “Gil, Scott, tell this fucker to let me into our home.” 

“Pathfinder,” the turian said, focusing on Scott. He didn’t even seem to notice that Reyes came up behind them. He moved to Jill’s other side and looked at the situation with concern. She reached out and took his hand as another anchor. 

“Let us in,” Scott responded. 

“I can’t do that. It’s an active--”

Jill made a rather loud and very frustrated noise at that.

“Then let _me_ in. SAM and I can only help your investigation,” Scott countered.

The turian paused at that and then communicated with some of his companions inside the house. After they confirmed it was okay to let the Pathfinder in, he nodded and waved Scott inside.

Once inside, Scott felt his connection to SAM instantly reconnect. “Pathfinder, there is a scarmbler device preventing my signal from leaving this house. You will have to find it and remove it.” 

Having SAM there again made him feel a sense of relief that was still strongly overpowered by the sight of his home and the worry for his daughter. The place was a mess, a struggle had obviously taken place and spanned throughout the entire house. 

“Where’s Meri?” he asked. 

The officers that were in the house were a human woman and a salarian. The human frowned. “I’m sorry, Pathfinder. I’m not sure how to tell you this...”

Scott felt something grip onto his heart and hold it tightly.

“They’ve taken her,” SAM supplied. His voice was low, something unreadable inside of it. It was still that simulated voice but something in it hinted to a deep emotion.

“Who?”

“The Outcasts. They attacked Ms. Jani while Jill was responding to an emergency call. They rendered her unconscious and took Meri before the authorities could arrive.” 

“What happened to Jani?”

“The angaran woman?” The salarian asked. “We transported her to the doctor. He has experience working with angara so he’ll be able to look out for her.”

Scott needed to access SAM’s full capabilities so he swallowed hard, trying not to let himself feel as panicked as he knew he wanted to be. They couldn’t do anything to get her back if he lost his mind. “SAM says there’s a scrambler blocking his full signal. We need to find it.” 

They both nodded at that and started looking. Once the device was discovered they quickly dismantled it and SAM’s server came back to full life. 

“Thank you, Scott,” SAM commented. “I was able to take security footage during the struggle. We can review it now.”

“Play it.”

The screen they usually watched silly action vids on sprang to life and began to play security footage. Scott watched as Jill was called away by Felicity. Almost immediately after, Jani had answered the door when someone pinged that they were there. When she stepped back, Petre walked in followed by a salarian and a human that Scott couldn’t place. Jani was always relaxed around Petre. From working with the two of them to track the Outcasts, Scott had gotten the impression she harbored feelings for him. On the security recording she seemed happy to see him though confused why he was there.

“Who are your friends? Did the boss send you here as backup, Petre? It’s mostly just spending time with Jill now that the baby’s asleep.” She seemed amused though and moved to sit back down. “Jill’s nice. The Pathfinder picked a rather strong woman to--”

As she spoke, Petre came up behind her and raised something that looked like a sort of taser, though designed for a species that was mostly immune to electronic shock. 

“Alert!” SAM’s voice rang out as he tried to warn her and she had her own reflexes that kicked in. Scott could imagine this was the moment SAM had tried to reach out to him as well, because immediately after the salarian took the scrambler out and turned it on. The device screeched loudly before settling down. 

The vid crackled for a moment as SAM fought of the effects of the device. For a moment, all Scott could see was flashes of the fight that followed. This fight had been the one that ruined the house. Jani struggled against the three of them hard, but eventually they was able to get the upper hand and Petre was the one who knocked her out. The human came forward with a weapon as if to shoot her but Petre put a hand on him and stopped him. 

He gestured to the bedrooms instead, and the human left the room only to return a moment later with a bundle that Scott was sure was his daughter.

When the trio attempted to leave, SAM intervened. He was blocked from leaving the house, but he still had some control over the house itself. “I alerted the authorities of your presence before you turned on the scrambler and have called the Pathfinder home. I have initiated emergency lock down. You will not leave the house. Return the child to her bed immediately.”

The unknown human rolled his eyes. “Fucking AI.” 

The salarain placed explosive devices around the door and they stepped back to set them off. The loud sound finally awoke Meri and she began to cry. The human made a face. “I’m not on baby sitting duty,” he said. 

He handed Meri over to Petre who held her with a surprising amount of care while the other two pried open the door. While they worked he moved to the kitchen to get some of her milk and found a bag full of diapers. He also rocked his arm a bit to soothe her but she continued to cry. 

Once the door was open, there was nothing to stop them from leaving. Scott watched them walk out of his house with his daughter. Moments later, the authorities arrived. 

The footage ended then and Scott felt a certainty settling over him. He needed to plan a course of action that would bring Meri back. “Okay SAM, let’s start scanning to find tracks.” He pulled away but the colony security team seemed unsure. 

“We usually don’t let the parent investigate...” one of them started, but the look that Scott gave her silenced her. 

When he was out of the house he pulled out his scanner. 

“Scott!” Jill came up to him then, desperate for news. 

Scott felt his jaw tighten. “SAM. Explain to them, please. I… I can’t. I need to focus on finding them.” 

SAM quickly summarized what was going on, and Gil braced Jill as she felt as if she might collapse. 

“I’m going to get her back,” Scott said, and he felt more determined than he ever had. He was going to get her back, the alternative was too horrifying to even entertain.


	9. Chapter 9

The tracks that Scott found led from the front of his house, then around, and through the backside of the buildings in the colony. They took him to yet another area that showed signs of a shuttle taking off. SAM confirmed it to be the same shuttle they had encountered before and Scott searched around until he found a datapad with a message to him, a navpoint, and a time that was for early the next morning.

“I think that takes you to a cave,” Reyes said as he read the datapad. He had followed Scott and walked with him through the colony. He had his gun drawn, as if waiting for someone to attack them. “I can scout out the--”

“The datapad says to go alone,” Scott pointed out. The whole thing seemed so stereotypical. ‘Come alone and unarmed or we hurt your daughter.’ He could almost hear the words spoken by an overacting vid villain in a menacing voice. That didn’t stop his heart and stomach from contracting painfully as panic threatened to seep in.

“Yes, and you will, but I want to make sure we have some understanding of what you’re walking into.” A pause. “I won’t be seen.”

Scott considered Reyes and then, finally, he asked. “Why didn’t you realize that Petre was on their side?”

For a moment, Reyes seemed stricken but he scrambled to hide it quickly. “I...” he started. Then, rethinking how he was approaching the subject, he stopped and started again, “Sloane cut out his tongue, did you know? That’s why he can’t speak. She gave him a choice to swallow some unfiltered water or lose his tongue. He was forced to his knees in front of her and Kaetus cut it out. I have no idea why he would return to Kaetus’s side after such a thing.” He hated not knowing, and Scott could see that in the tension of his body, even if his face was carefully schooled to seem normal. The Collective’s entire operation was based on him knowing people and how to best arrange events to the benefit his agenda.

Scott moved closer and put a hand on his shoulder. He didn’t want to seem as if he were blaming Reyes. He just needed to know why this had happened.

“Let me help you,” Reyes said. “Let me make this right.”

Scott nodded. “Alright. I’ll go get my gear and then we can meet just outside the navpoint. _Be careful_.”

Reyes opened his arms again as he backed away. “I always am.”

 

  
When Scott got back home Gil and Jill were finally inside and trying to figure out how to make sense of the mess of their home. Both of them looked at him with anticipation when he entered. He handed the datapad to Gil and then left them to go get his gear.

Gil approached him while he was putting on his armor. “I’m coming with you,” he said.

Scott paused and looked up at Gil, frowning. “Gil...” he started.

Gil raised a hand cutting him off. “I’m _coming with you_ , Scott. This isn’t an argument. It’s a fact.”

Scott sighed. He didn’t have the luxury of wasting time fighting against Gil’s determination. “There’s some spare gear here. Suit up.”

When they were both ready Jill looked from one to the other. “If either of you or Meri get hurt I’m never going to forgive you,” she said. Her voice was hard, but it was clear to both of them that this was the best way she could express her worry.

Gil moved forward and wrapped his arm around her. “Don’t stay here just freaking yourself out. Go to a friend’s house, or see how Jani is doing.”

Jill sighed deeply, steadying herself. “I mean it, Gil. Do _not_ get yourself killed.”

“Hey, I’ve been great at not getting killed so far. I’m sure my winning streak will stay intact.”

 

Reyes had been right when he speculated that the navpoint took them to a cave. He sent Scott another one that was a little ways away from the cave but with a vantage point that allowed them to watch the entrance. Gil and Scott arrived and Scott found a spot that was hidden by some rocks and would block them from view.

The meeting time was several hours away.

“Scott, the composition of the cave makes it difficult for my scanners to acquire accurate readings,” SAM explained as they settled in.

Scott sighed a bit. “They probably factored that in. They don’t want you spying in on them.”

“I am able to see that this cave as two entrances, the one on the other side of the mountain is very large,” SAM continued.

“Large enough for some shuttles to fit in,” Reyes’s voice came from their side as he climbed up to meet them. He paused when he saw Gil, but refrained from commenting on his presence. He settled on the other side of Scott and handed him some rations. They would be here a while, it was important to keep their strength and level-headedness. 

“Well, if they bring shuttles I can see about sabotaging them to stop them from getting away,” Gil offered as he took his ration from Scott and glared at it. He wasn’t really in the mood to eat.

“That’s a good idea,” Reyes agreed. “We might also need one to escape.”

“So I take it you have a plan?” Scott asked.

“An outline of a plan,” Reyes responded. “But a lot of it depends on what happens once we’re in there.” Reyes tilted his head a bit to peer down at the cave. “Once it’s close to the meeting time, Scott you’ll go around and approach as if you’re coming from the colony. Gil and I will sneak around the mountain and try to enter from the other side. We’ll have to be careful not to be seen.”

Gil raised his brow. “I grew up on Earth,” he explained. “And not in the gleaming glass city on the hill sort of way, more of the masses cluttered in the dirt and grime way. If there’s anything I know, it’s how to break into a place without getting caught.”

Reyes accepted that. “At least those skills will be put to good use today.”

 

Later, after the plan had been discussed and mapped out, Scott was sitting with Gil leaning against him. Carefully, he moved his hand to take Gil’s and intertwined their fingers.

“I’ve never been this scared before,” he admitted, quietly. It felt as if every molecule in his body was terrified at the idea that something would happen to Meri. He’d gladly take staring the Archon down again if it meant he never had to feel this way.

Gil shifted a bit to make their arms more comfortable. “I know what you mean,” he replied and his voice betrayed his own sense of fear.

“We’ll pull this off,” Reyes commented from where he was keeping watch on the cave. “We have to. Kadara has so few things that are pure and innocent. If we can’t protect one of the best ones, there’s no point to any of this.”

Scott pulled his eyes away from where he had been looking at his and Gil’s hands to focus on Reyes. Everything about him was tense and determined. He was seeing a side of Reyes he realized he had never really seen before. He was usually so careful to appear relaxed and in control. Even during the duel with Sloane everything about him had seemed calm and confident. Now, though, Scott felt as if he was ready to snap.

They lapsed into silence, as Reyes’ words did little to comfort either Scott or Gil. There were too many things that could go wrong.

“This is the second time I have experienced a child in mortal peril,” SAM shared on his open channel, letting Scott’s lovers in on the conversation. “The first time was on Habitat Seven.”

Reyes shifted then and looked at Scott. “What exactly happened on Habitat Seven?” he asked.

Scott breathed in, both to brace himself against emotion and as a way drive away the memory of how it felt to suffocate. “When my dad activated the monolith its defenses knocked us off the platform. We both went tumbling down and my helmet hit hard. It shattered. I couldn’t breathe.” His jaw tightened a bit, not really sure he could describe what happened next. “The planet didn’t have enough oxygen. It still doesn’t. Even with terraforming, it’s going to take a while for us to get Ryder-1 to the habitable level.” He frowned deeply and rubbed his forehead with his free hand. “Anyway, I was on the ground, unable to breathe... and...”

“Alec understood in that moment that Scott would not survive. The rescue shuttles were four minutes away. He was going to suffocate before they would arrive.” SAM explained. “He had to act.”

Scott had seen this memory from his father’s perspective. He had seen himself on the ground, gasping as his life was slowly robbed away. Even then, he hadn’t fully understood the reasons. It seemed so clear now, though. “He removed his own helmet and put it on me before initiating SAM’s transfer to me.” He finished, and the old grief seemed to cloud everything except the fear that Meri wasn’t going to make it out of this mess. “I still didn’t survive it though. I was dead for a while before SAM and Lexi brought me back.”

Gil’s hand tightened around Scott’s. “Wasn’t the last time you did that, either. I swear you better not ever think of doing that again. Three times dead and back to life is enough. You don’t get to try that trick again, especially not today.”

Reyes slid down to the ground next to them. He seemed pretty set on the idea of Scott not dying again too, but rather than lingering on the subject he returned to talking about Alec. “So your father gave up his life for yours?”

“I guess so. I was pretty surprised he did at the time.”

“I take it you didn’t have the strongest bond with him?” Reyes seemed to relate to that on some level, but Scott didn’t try to pry more information from him.

“Not really.” Scott titled his head back and looked up at Kadara’s sky. “Now it feels like giving yourself up for your child is the only logical choice to make.”

“No one is going to die here, Scott,” Reyes stated. Scott found himself comforted by the certainty in his voice. “No one except for the Outcasts who dared to use Meri as a pawn in their game.”

 

  
When it was close to the meeting time Scott said good bye to both of them and then headed down the mountain to loop around and approach the cave from the direction of the colony.

The entrance here was rather narrow, only wide enough for a person really. He entered and headed down the pathway until it opened to a wide space. Here there were rock formations that caused a sort of natural platform in the middle and large boulders scattered around that. He could see an opening across the space that probably led towards the back entrance. SAM privately informed him that he couldn’t see anything beyond what Scott could see, so there was no way to take heat signatures or tell how many others were in the tunnels.

“That’s far enough, Pathfinder,” Kaetus spoke as he came from the other side of the platform and climbed up it. Next to him were a few armed guards and to the side was Petre. Meri was in Petre’s arms and the sight of the baby made Scott freeze.

He raised his hands and turned his body a bit to show them all he was unarmed, but he kept his gaze on his daughter. “Is she hurt at all?”

“Not yet,” Kaetus responded. “But depending on what you do now, that could easily change.”

Scott forced himself to turn his head and look at Kaetus. “What do you want, Kaetus?”

The turian looked down at Scott with pure contempt in his face. “I warned you once, didn’t I? I warned you that you’d pay for what happened to Sloane.”

Scott didn’t answer. He kept his hands up and waited for Kaetus to have his say.

“And I really have to thank you. Petre here never would have turned on the Collective without you and your damn colony. It turned out the only thing he couldn’t forgive more than me cutting out his tongue was the Nexus turning him and his friends out to die. Seeing you flourish really set him on edge.”

Scott’s gaze returned to Petre. He wanted to seem as if he was sizing up the man, but really what he noticed was the way that Petre properly supported Meri’s head, and the way that he rocked slightly to ensure she stayed calm. Scott imagined him feeding his daughter with the milk he had thought to take from his home, changing her with the diapers he had grabbed, and tending to her while they waited for the meeting Kaetus had arranged. He might appear to be an angry, gruff mercenary but he handled her with care. Scott imagined it was this hidden gentleness that made Jani like him so much.

“You still haven’t told me what you want,” Scott pointed out, returning his attention to Kaetus.

“I want two things from you, Pathfinder,” Kaetus replied. “First, I want you to tell me who The Charlatan is. And don’t try to give me any bullshit about how you don’t know. They care way too much about you not to have had at least one face-to-face meeting. Then, I want you to do the exact same thing you did to Sloane.”

“I didn’t do anything to Sloane.”

“Exactly. That’s exactly what I want you to do. Nothing. I want you to stand aside and let whatever happens, happen.”

Scott was silent then. He returned his attention to Petre and the soft bundle in his arms.

“Your daughter’s life depends on this, Ryder. Give me a name.” Kaetus demanded.

Scott took a deep breath and then took one step closer. The guards tensed and raised their weapons, but Scott had all of his attention focused on Petre.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m sorry that I didn’t realize how much banishment hurt you. I... I’ve been trying to make this right since I arrived, but there so much damage that I can’t fix things with just a simple alliance. It takes so much more than that, and I fooled myself into thinking that it was working when there’s still so much that hasn’t been repaid.”

Petre’s eyes narrowed a bit.

“I didn’t ask for your apology, Pathfinder. I asked for a name.” Kaetus was losing patience, but still Scott didn’t spare him a glance.

“We all came here hoping for a new beginning, and instead the same old shit keeps happening. I’ll do whatever I can to make up for it, but right now... Right now you have the future in your hands. That is a _human_ baby, Petre. She’s innocent, and she’s what we need if we’re going to survive in Andromeda. Are you really going to let them hurt her?” Scott spoke from somewhere deep inside of himself. He felt as if his face and voice were betraying something so primal and so human. He spoke desperation to protect his daughter, but also to protect his species. More importantly, he could tell part of it was getting through. Petre’s arm moved, moving Meri a little closer to his chest to protect her. 

Kaetus seemed to understand that as well. “Give her to a salarian, Petre,” he ordered. Without the species bias to exploit, maybe Scott would take this more seriously.

One of the salarian guards stepped forward, but instead of following orders, Petre took a step back. In that moment two things happened at once. First, it became clear to everyone in the cave that Petre would do nothing that would purposely harm the baby in his hands. Second, the salarian’s head exploded.

Reyes had made it into the other side of the room unnoticed and he held the gun that had been fired. Everything devolved into chaos then. As Petre shielded Meri and jumped down to run for the exit, the Outcasts in the room began to open fire on Scott.

He ducked behind a boulder before any of their shots could bring down his shields, and then quickly warped reality around them to bring some of them off their feet. Reyes aimed and shot a few of the ones who were dangling in the air as he ducked low and used the rock formations to get to Scott’s side.

“Gil, Petre has Meri. He’s trying to run,” Scott said, knowing that his omni tool would broadcast the news to his partner. “He’s heading your way.”

“He won’t get passed me,” Gil promised over the com.

Scott pushed another biotic wave towards some of the men trying to shoot him as Reyes made it to his side. He passed Scott a gun. Together they fired upon the Outcasts as another wave of them rushed in through the far pathway.

“We really need an exit,” Scott said.

Reyes held up a detonator then and pushed it. The explosion rocked the entire cave and made chunks of it fall from the ceiling, but Reyes had calculated to prevent a cave in. He had also placed them well enough to take out a large chunk of the Outcasts.

Quickly, he and Scott got up and ran towards the exit that Petre had taken, rushing passed fires and charred rock. The smell of burning flesh filled the air as they escaped.

“Give me back my daughter, you son of a bitch!” Scott heard Gil over the com. He tried to will himself to run faster. He needed to get to Gil, to help him get Meri back from Petre.

Reyes had set up more explosives along their path and as he and Scott cleared them he’d set them off, taking out more of the Outcasts who were trying to chase them. Finally the cave opened again and this time it was to the wide exit that allowed shuttles in and out. Scott could see three shuttles as the entered the cavern.

As they came closer he found Gil by one of the shuttles. Meri was in one of his arms, the other hand held a gun which was pointed down towards Petre who was still breathing and on the ground. 

Gil looked relieved to see Scott, but Scott’s attention was fully on the baby in Gil’s hands. He ran up to them and looked down at her, checking that she was safe.

“Don’t worry, love,” Gil said softly. “I got her.”

Reyes kept his attention on Petre but spoke to Gil. “Good. Now get her on the shuttle and get it ready to leave.”

Another explosion rang out, and this time Scott could hear a cave in deep in the area they had just escaped. A cloud of dust filtered in through the tunnel. Gil didn’t need to be told twice. He disappeared into the shuttle with the baby.

“What are we going to do about--” Scott started. He wanted to ask about Petre, but before he could finish he was cut off by a loud yell.

“You!” Kaetus called as he stumbled into the makeshift hanger bay. His body was badly wounded. His armor had been broken open by shrapnel. His face and arms were covered in blue blood. He was coated in dust from the cave in. He looked as if he was standing through the force of fury alone. He came closer to them, folded over in pain as his arm was pressed firmly against an open wound in his stomach. “You can’t get away. Not after what you did.”

Scott watched as Reyes’s entire expression grew cold. While Kaetus’s anger was hot and passionate, driving him mad enough to threaten an infant, Reyes’s fury was dangerous and as deadly as a viper. He stepped closer, his gun still pointed up. “It’s ironic that you’re standing like that, Kaetus. That’s exactly how Sloane looked when my sniper hit his mark - all curled up over the wound in her torso with rage in her face. She couldn’t believe a ‘third-rate smuggler’ had bested her.”

Kaetus had been focused on Scott, but as Reyes spoke his attention turned to him. He stared down the cold wrath in Reyes and realized what those words meant. “You’re-”

“The one you tried to blackmail Scott to find? Yes, I’d say so. Though you’ll never get the satisfaction of taking me down. Not after you threatened Meri.”

Goaded into action by Reyes’s words, Kaetus lunged forward blindly. Reyes pulled his trigger and blue blood splatted against the cave wall. Kaetus was dead before he hit the floor.

“Bang,” Reyes said, but this time it wasn’t after a simple finger motion. The sound was less like triumph and more like a spit of disgust.

Then Reyes looked down at Petre, who was staring up at him with wide, shocked eyes. “You realize what this means, don’t you?” he asked Petre. The coldness hadn’t quite left him, but at least there was a tinge of sympathy when he spoke to man who had betrayed him.

Petre reached for the pistol strapped to his side. Scott moved, ready to shoot Petre if he turned on Reyes, but instead the man on the ground turned the weapon on his own head and fired. Scott managed to look away just as the bullet hit its mark.

 

Finally, they were on the shuttle. Reyes piloted it out of the cave as Scott settled next to Gil and put his arm around him so that they could secure Meri together. He leaned his head in so that his forehead was against Gil’s.

Gil chuckled softly; the noise of it was a release of tension that he had been carrying with him since Scott has collapsed on the dance floor. “Way to be a hero, Scott,” he muttered.

Scott shook his head gently, moving just enough to make the gesture but not enough to dislodge from where he was. “Technically you’re the one who got her back.”

“Then, I guess that makes me the hero this time.”

Scott swallowed hard. “I think you always were.”

 

Back at the colony they landed near Dr. Nakamoto’s clinic. When they entered Jill was there by Jani’s side and when she saw them she jumped up and rushed to them. Relief washed over her at the sight of Meri in Gil’s arms. She wrapped her arms around both him and Scott and pulled them all together. Eventually, the doctor was able to convince them to hand over Meri so he could check to see if she was truly unharmed. Jill lingered by him, watching as he worked.

Scott realized then that Keema Dohrgun was there with an agara technician. The technician was installing an ion booth. Jani had sat up more in the bed where she had been recovering to try to see Meri, but Keema had gently put a hand on her shoulder to still her.

Scott neared them. “The ion bed from you? I know our doctor has been hoping to get one for a while.” Nakamoto had been requesting one for the angara visitors who came to the colony, but as the Port was so near the Nexus had prioritized the other colonies and outposts first. They rationalized that any injured angara in Kadara could easily be transported the medics at the Port.

“From a mutual friend,” Keema answered and it would take someone who knew what they were looking for to notice the way her eyes lingered on Reyes for just a second. “There was interest in ensuring that Jani was fully recovered.”

“I’m fine,” Jani protested, but Keema’s hand on her kept her still. “How is Meri?”

“She’s good,” Scott replied. He looked over to where the doctor and Jill were covering Meri from view. He then focused on Jani again and felt he needed to make sure she understood how much her actions meant to him. “SAM recorded everything that happened at the house. I...” He started but then trailed off. There were no words to fully express how grateful he was that she had fought so hard to protect his child.

Jani offered him a smile. “You’re welcome, Pathfinder.”

 

Scott was exhausted by the time they got back home. He hadn’t slept at all that night while they had waited outside, and now he felt as if he could sleep for weeks. It was more than a physical exhaustion. His emotions had been so intense since Meri had gone missing and he knew he needed to recover. 

Jill was holding Meri when they entered the home. As they entered, each blinked around in surprise. The house was back in order. They were still missing pieces that had been broken, but everything looked as if it had been cleaned and put away. 

“Several colonists have been working to restore the home as much as they could,” SAM explained as they all looked around in amazement. “Security officers have volunteered to keep watch of the home while we wait for door repairs.”

“Thank you SAM,” Scott said. He reached up to start unfastening his armor. He felt touched that the community had come together but mostly he felt like he needed to sleep.

“I should probably go arrange for my people to track down any survivors from that cave,” Reyes said.

“Are you kidding?” Gil asked. “We all just stayed up all night while huddled together against rocks before fighting out way out of a death cave. We’re all going to sleep for a bit.”

“Uh-oh,” Jill commented. She couldn’t stop smiling now that she had her daughter back. She rocked her daughter now and spoke to her. “Did you hear that Meri, Da-da was talking about actually going to sleep. That’s how you know he’s really tired.”

“Oh, I’ll probably be up again in a couple hours. That’s why we need you here, Reyes. You need to keep Scott company once my insomnia gets the best of me.” 

Reyes wasn’t exactly sure what to do with that. Scott thought that it was possible that he still blamed himself for not seeing Petre’s treachery or he was uncomfortable being pressured to stay in their home. He came over to Reyes and took his hand. “You don’t have to listen to these two people. Sometimes they have crazy ideas.”

“This one isn’t that crazy,” he replied, giving into the idea. His voice was soft and thoughtful. 

Scott took a better hold of his hand then and pulled him towards the bedroom that he shared with Gil. The three of them undressed in silence and then slid into bed.

It was big enough for three of them to fit, but there wasn’t much space between their bodies. Scott ended up on his side with Gil pressed up against his back and Reyes in front of him. If he hadn’t been so exhausted he might have tried to coax them both into having him at the same time. As it was, though, he could hardly keep his eyes open long enough to make sure they were both comfortable. Despite that, he kept checking on their bodies and asking if they both needed him to move at all.

“Shh,” Reyes soothed. He reached up and stroked a hand through Scott’s hair as Gil trailed a hand over his stomach. “Stop fretting. Sleep now.”

“We can sing a lullaby if it helps,” Gil teased gently, yawning as he spoke. 

“Oh please no. No singing.”

“I happen to have a wonderful voice,” Reyes said, grinning in a pleased sort of way.

“I bet you do,” Gil replied and although Scott couldn’t see him he could just feel the smirk on his face. 

“You two flirt anymore and I am going to be far too distracted to sleep,” Scott muttered. 

“We’ll save it for later then,” Gil responded. He leaned up a bit to kiss the side of Scott’s face. “Good night, love.” 

“Yes, good night, Scott,” Reyes added.

“Good night,” Scott replied to both of them and then let sleep take him.


End file.
